Advent of Hell
by Matdeception
Summary: Demons have invaded, the foolish Akatsuki sundered the gates. On a world where Humanity's fate is already cosigned to oblivion, two mentally unstable jinchuriiki get sling shotted else when. They didn't have a choice, either.
1. Chapter 1

Advent Of Hell Written

By: Matdeception

Rough Draft Started: September 06, 2007

Rough Draft Finished: September 06, 2007 Revision Begun: -  
Revision Finished: -  
Final Version Released: -  
Musical Inspiration: The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars Primary Characters: Naruto, Gaara, Orochimaru; Secondary Characters: Kabuto, Kankuro, Temari, the Sound Four.  
Story Premise: In a world ravaged by demons, controlled by hypocritical Angels, Humanity marches onward towards extinction. It is only a matter of time... Yet hope exists within the mind of a mad scientist, and from that hope sparks an adventure for two mentally scarred Jinchuriiki hell bent on doing whatever the fuck they want to do, be damn the consequences.

Disclaimer: Naruto! Belongs to a fan girl controlled asshole whose name I can't give a flying fuck to remember. I don't own Dante's Inferno, either.

Authors Notes: Well, been a long time. Between School, Work, and general cookieness, I've almost completely disappeared from the writing scene. I won't lie, either, but when my brother died I just couldn't bring myself to even type a single letter of anything. Anyways, the first few chapters were/are available on The Fanfiction Forum, but aside from this Prologue, and parts of the next chapter, you can expect some things to be reworked, plot points re-organized, some events to not actually take place, and a WHOLE lot more Brutality from Naruto.

My main goal for this story is, of course, to complete it. I'm also trying to explore some psychological effects and their relative fall outs, which if you're interested you just need to spare extra attention to Naruto and his behavior as time wears on. From one body to the next, something that happened to him on 'The Day' was rectified, and now he'll have to deal with things he could no longer conceive of since the damage that caused the problem had yet to take place.

Update: 5/16/2012 - God, I hope this fixes the damn spacing issues I had with this fic in the past. Seriously, I tried re-reading this and the lack of scene breaks nearly killed me.

-0-0-0-

Chapter 0; Prologue: Time is your enemy... unless you cheat.

-0-0-0-

A deep breath, burning sulfur lighting brightly at the end of the cigarette as he inhaled the thick smoke deeply. A brief illumination among the dilapidated ruins, casting all too brief shadows - like Wraiths - across the remnants of this little hovel long since put to the torch by the invaders. He did not care about what Use to be, only about what was, and what would be. Discarding ash, he brought the cancer stick back to his lips, enjoying yet another deep breath of the wonderful substance as he and his two cohorts huddled among the ruin.

A soft probe against his leg grabbed his attention, Jade eyes peering deeply back in expectation. Naruto grunted softly, passing on the cigarette.

"How much farther, teme?"

The 'Teme' sighed, rubbing his forehead irritably. "For the tenth time, Naruto-kun, we'll be there soon." his voice was soft and velvety, breath visible in the cool night air like a gossamer web floating freely. With blood red eyes set with three evenly spaced tomoes connected by an outer ring around the Iris, the tell tale mark of Sharingan, he looked out carefully over the multitude of ruins ahead in the distance.

"Why?" The third member of the trio inhaled the last of the cigarette, earning a glare from Naruto in the process, before flicking the remnants away. "To insist we leave the defense of Tenrou to traitorous Angels and Hanyou, no explanation given. I've waited long enough." his voice like steel, cutting through the dark night with it's simple intent and demand.

"Can't say I blame Gaara for getting pissy, either." Naruto snorted, gripping his nodachi tightly. "Last thing we need is to be leavin the last Human city to the defense of Outlanders who'd rather sell us into slavery then help us." he scowled, "This 'Master Plan' to end the invasion better be legit, teme, or by Dyschi I swear I will gut you."

The 'Teme' grimaced, but nodded. Digging through his pack, he pulled out two small scrolls, "Very well. Read these, memorize the information within, it'll be of the utmost importance once we arrive at my lab."

Gaara spared to contents a look, frowning as the seconds wore on. Naruto stared at his own scroll in confusion, "Hey, ain't this..."

"Portal locations prior to their activation and subsequent phase shifting." The Sand-nin frowned, "Or at least the Portal entrance for the Second, Third, Fourth, and Seventh Circle before they were activated by the Akatsuki."

The blonde grimaced, "Nice, nice. What's the god damn mother fucking point Orochimaru? The portals underwent phase-shifting once they got cracked open, and even if they were still there we ain't got a snowballs chance in hell of closing it, never mind killing their guardians."

Orochimaru sighed, speaking in a tone usually reserved for small children or the mentally handicapped. He honestly didn't know which category to fit the likes of Naruto in, probably both. "I'm not asking you to come up with a means of closing the portals, I'm telling you to memorize their locations. Trust me Naruto-kun, Gaara-kun, the information will be relevant when we arrive at my Lab in the Paramina Rift."

Naruto grimaced. The Paramina Rift? Why the fuck did Orochimaru want to go there of all fucking places? If the storm of souls didn't get them killed, Minos the guardian certainly would.

"These locations coincide with four locations in the former Sound Nation." Gaara mentioned suddenly, robbing Naruto of the steam he was about to use to unleash a bitch fest the likes of which hadn't been seen since last Thursday.

"Correct as always, Gaara-kun." the pale man sounded pleased with the younger of the trio, "As I'm sure you both are quite well aware of, I use to belong to the Akatsuki, and these four gates were what we had located prior to my defection. I set my base of operations in Sound for just this reason, I even trained four would-be elite guardians to protect those gates from the Akatsuki when the time came."

"Well they certainly did a shit fuck job, didn't they?" Naruto chimed in irritably.

Gaara sighed, but said nothing as he closed his eyes in thought.

"You can hardly blame them." Orochimaru hissed angrily, which was an unusual sight in and of itself. The Snake bastard never got angry, he got even. "I find it quite the challenge to guard something when you're painfully torn asunder by a pissed off Jinchuuriki." he finished, leveling a glare at the blonde headed bastard.

"Oh?" Naruto looked curious and innocent at the same time, a sight that nearly drove Orochimaru to gut the blundering fool. "Well, uh... my bad?" He didn't look the least bit sorry. He didn't even know just who the Snake Sannin was talking about, he had torn apart a LOT of people when he got pissed off, but that was besides the point.

"Just... memorize the damn information." Orochimaru finished through gritted teeth.

-0-0-0-

The desecrated landscape of rock and bones did little to deter the trio, high above a raging purple storm of Souls that wailed endlessly, almost deafening in its intensity despite the distance from it. Huddled closed to a rock face overlooking a desolate valley, Orochimaru carefully peered over the ridge.

Naruto first took notice of a pair of statues who, despite the Sundering of the World, had withstood the endless sea of chaos that now encompassed the entire land formerly known as the Shinobi Nations. The familiarity of the gigantic Nin-statues was not lost on the blonde haired man. It was a sight he could never forget, even in his most debilitated state.

"The Valley of the End?"

Orochimaru nodded stiffly, "What's left of it, in either case. My lab's entrance is located where the waterfall use to be." he spared the blonde a glance, "I found it shortly before The Day, some one had dug out a rather large sphere directly from the rock face. Interestingly enough it was done by pure Chakra, or so I could ascertain from the lingering Chakra within the stone walls, whoever did used a most interesting method." he shrugged.

Naruto chuckled, earning him a glare from the Snake Sannin. He honestly didn't realize that final climatic charge with Sasuke here all those years ago had left something like that behind, not that he cared, either.

Gaara, silent since they had begun moving nearly nine hours ago, spoke flatly. "North embankment, Soul Flayers."

The blonde grimaced. 'Fucking Flayers.' A Flayer was a gargantuan creature that looked like scaly lizard men, but that description would be a vast understatement. Beneath their black scales, past the spikes, claws, and teeth the creature exhibited laid a being of Magical construction. A ferocious being that subsided on the energy of living creatures, most notable their souls, which they possessed the ability to rip from some ones still living body, a very painful way to die. That wasn't even considering the other Flayer types rampaging through the countryside, he reserved a special kind of loathing and hatred for Mind Flayers in particular.

The pale man sighed, but nodded. "Unfortunately the battle between Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun left a psychic imprint on this area, something that draws Flayers of all types to this location. Be at ease..." he waved at the Blonde man, who had gripped his weapon tightly in preparation for a gruesome battle, "... They won't even know we were here, at least not until it's to late to do anything about it."

Naruto grimaced, but nodded and took after the Pale man as he broke from cover, silently sneaking along the rocky ledges towards the Lab's entrance. Something was seriously up with Orochimaru, he was sure of it. The man was being far to secretive and tight lipped concerning just why the fuck he had dragged the two of them all the way to this shit hole. He sparred Gaara a glance, the red headed man was anxious, the slight twitching of his lips was enough to let the blonde figure that much out.

They quickly followed after Orochimaru, saying nothing as he disappeared through a wall of rock as if it didn't exist. Such defensive illusions were common, hardly something they would be surprised about given the shit storm they lived through for the last thirty years.

Traveling down the deserted Hallways, the trio soon came upon a large oval room filled with various machinations the likes of which neither of the two younger men had seen in their their miserable lives. As they stepped into the room Chakra sigils began to appear along the floor, slowly expanding outward and illuminating the entirety of the room in it's subtle glow. Most notable were two vertical chambers at the far end, seemingly made of glass and filled with a diluted green colored liquid.

"Right." Naruto grumped, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it with a brief flare of burning chakra, "You dragged us here, made us memorize that useless information, I think it's time you get to the fucking point and tell us exactly what the fuck yer up to here."

Orochimaru ignored him, a slight smile growing on his thin lips as he stood there.

Gaara ignored Naruto as he traveled deeper into the room, examining the chambers filled with Liquid. As he approached one, his gaze suddenly was drawn and caught by a pair of obsidian etched stones kept in containment at the base of the larger Glass tubes. He didn't know why, or how, but the stones echoed power. Power that saturated the air, almost tangible to the touch. "What... are these?" the container of Shukaku asked breathlessly, even as his gaze was pulled towards one in particular.

Naruto growled at being ignored, turning his attention to Gaara and, more importantly, the stones he had become fascinated with. For some reason he couldn't quite fathom, one of the stones caught his attention. A slight twinge of pain in his gut echoed warning, but he ignored it as he came closer to the stone.

"Gentlemen." Orochimaru's voice whispered darkly in their ears, but it seemed so far away and inconsequential. "I give you the last remaining fragments of the First, and Ninth portal."

Gaara's eyes widened and he tried to pull away immediately, but even as he moved the stone that had called to him pulsed with barely restrained energy, all at once silencing Shukaku who he now realized had been screaming a terrible warning since he first caught sight of the stone. He only barely registered his sand all at once losing it's cohesion, the Chakra used to manipulate it stolen, to fall harmlessly to the ground.

-0-0-0-

The air was stale, unmoving. Darkness was everywhere, but not oppressive. There was no feeling, there was no life, there simply was nothing, and he wept at the emptiness.

-0-0-0-

Gaara suddenly collapsed, robbed of consciousness as his mind failed the comprehend what he had seen through the stone.

Naruto twitched as the stone he found himself drawn to flashed brightly, all at once the Unholy strength he had come accustomed to from the Kyuubi vanished, throwing him to his knees as he was robbed of his power. "Orochimaru... what... why?"

The pale man said nothing, or perhaps he did and he couldn't hear him?

-0-0-0-

Sulphur and Brimstone, the choking smell threatened to floor him, but seemed so unimportant. Before him the great beast kept flight, it's six mighty wings creating a hurricane of force above the frozen lake. His eyes widened even as the beasts three heads turned to look at him with it's insidious eyes, a wave of indescribable rage, fury, and murderous intent washed over him.

'Judas, Brutus, Cassius.'

The names echoed through his skull, a foreign knowledge that struck terror down to his very soul. Even as the three heads of the great beast mauled the Sinners in their gaping maw, they continued to stare at him. Past the flesh, meat and bone, down to the very core of his being. A word ripped through his skull, it's diabolical meaning known with out ever truly knowing it.

'Cocytus'

-0-0-0-

Orochimaru watched apathetically as Naruto screamed in terror before collapsing, robbed of consciousness. At some unseen command the two unconscious men began to rise up into the air, hovering purposefully towards the glass containers filled with the mysterious green liquid. "Let he who is with sin cast the first stone." the pale man murmured even as his eyes turned from doe brown to bright red, the spinning tomoe of the Sharingan recorded perfectly the events taking place.

At last fully submerged in the green substance, he turned towards a control panel and pressed three buttons, before stepping away. The machines erupted to life, the stones incased in their respective containers ignited with burning Chakra, so much the Snake Sannin knew every Flayer, Demon, and Lost Soul within a hundred miles could feel it, and where no doubt making its way towards such abundance of energy.

There would be no escape for him, he knew, and that didn't bother the man who was once obsessed with continuing his life no matter what the cost. 'Sometimes...' the pale man thought tiredly, '... Life just isn't worth living.' he pulled out a locket with a strange twisted shuriken painted onto it's front from his right pocket, opening it and gazed at the picture of a girl, one who had long since died. "It maybe a selfish wish, but this time... please don't kill her, please don't kill my grand dau..."

Then the world around him exploded, and all he knew was silence.

-0-0-0-

TBC... slowly


	2. Chapter 2

Advent of Hell Written By: Matdeception

Rough Draft Started: September 08, 2007

Rough Draft Finished: September 08. 2007

Revision Started:

Revision Finished:  
Final Version Released:  
Musical Inspiration: The Kill by 30 seconds to Mars Primary Characters: Naruto, Gaara, Orochimaru; Secondary Characters: Kabuto, Kankuro, Temari, the Sound Four.

Disclaimer: Seriously, Bakamoto needs to fucking die.

Authors Notes: Here's a rehashed version of the chapter I had posted on TFF ages ago. There are some NOTEABLE changes in the text, as well as a removed scene that I'll be putting into the next chapter to start things off at it's appropriate speed/tempo.

Anyway, peace out. C&C welcome, flames to my toilet.

-0-0-0-

Chapter 1: Approaching Konoha; Really... REALLY Bad Ramen.

-0-0-0-

The forest was quiet, eerily so, as her entourage moved closer to it's final destination. So unlike Wind, she thought, whose howling burning wind at times left her ears ringing and eyes watery with its intensity. Only a full day since they entered the Country of Fires lands, primarily Forests with hues of such eye catching color it left her breathless to look at. So unlike Wind, where any color except the grainy yellow of Sand was a welcome break in the monotony of the endless Desert.

She secretly basked in its beauty. Secretly because to show anything but casual indifference in present company would be to show weakness, and that could not be allowed. Not in the Shinobi world, not within Sand, and certainly not within a kilometer of her family.

Baki's voice intruded upon her monologue, catching her attention with it's severity.

"Do not discuss confidential information, such as your training, or that of your teammates, with anyone." he paused, thin lips pursed tightly, "Better not to talk to anyone at all, there will be shinobi presence other then Konoha at the exams." he finished seriously, keeping his visible eye trained on the surrounding foliage.

"Meh." Kankuro sneered, which she really wish he wouldn't with all that face paint, it made him look like a prune, "We aren't babies Baki-sensei."

"I wonder." the older man frowned, glaring at the Puppeteer.

Temari sighed, idly pushing back her hair. She really wished she had taken the time to arrange it in her traditional pigtails this morning, leaving it down and hanging just left her feeling exposed, she hated it. She knew far too many wanna be kunoichi who went with style over practicality, lost in their own little world dreaming of Princes and love and all that rubbish that no longer existed. They were Shinobi. Soldiers at best, merciless killers at worst. There was no in-between, and the sooner they realized it the better off everyone would be.

If they survived long enough, at any rate.

"Shut up." Gaara said simply, but it was enough to snap her back to attention. Her adorable, if pathologically insane, brother was glaring hatefully at Kankuro, which gave her a guilty pleasure. Her youngest brother was homicidal in even the best of times, never mind if he actual had a real reason to get upset.

Kankuro trembled, eyes wide, but did as he was told and said nothing. Gaara's jade eyes piercing down to his very core.

"Baki-sensei, how far are we from Konoha?" Temari sighed inwardly. That did the trick, whatever Kankuro had done to upset Gaara

Kankuro zipped shut, whatever they were talking about that had roused Gaara ended immediately as he refocused his glare at the older Jounin. 'You owe me, Kankuro'

"Day, two at the most." Baki shrugged, looking up at the mid-day sky, "If we hurry we can be there by mid-afternoon tomorrow."

"Right." Kankuro tentatively nodded, eager to keep moving and forget whatever he had done to rouse Gaara's annoyance "Then let's shut up and just get moving."

Temari sighed. Another tragedy averted.

-0-0-0-

Naruto whistled happily as he toweled his hair. "Ah yeah! Nothing says home like a burning hot bath! Datteybayo!"

He couldn't help but grin, and grin wide. First real mission a success... kinda sorta, he really wished Haku and Zabuza didn't die, but it gave way to his new Nindo! He'd protect all his precious people with everything he gots, believe it! Especially Sakura-chan!

His cheeks turned a little pink at the thought of protecting his pink-haired crush. "Chuunin exams, it's gonna be my chance to show everyone what a great Ninja I am!" He had been a little surprised Kakashi-sensei had nominated them, he had always been told Genin's waited for a year at the earliest in normal circumstances, so it was a little weird to be thrust into the exam so early.

Of course, Naruto's grin widened to near epic proportions, teeth glittering bright white in his dark little apartment. If that wasn't proof he was getting better, he didn't know what was. Heck, he had managed to fight and beat Haku even when Sasuke couldn't lay a finger of him. He didn't remember much of the actual battle, he had been pretty mad at the sight of Sasuke 'dead', but the results speak for themselves, right? Right!

Climbing into his bed, the cool clean sheets felt heavenly to his scorched skin, he began to doze off after a time. Yet sleep just wouldn't come, because at his most sleepy a burning biting pain ripped through his stomach. He hissed, clawing at his pajamas as he felt his insides begin to boil/ Throwing the covers aside he gasped at the sight. His seal, the one he had held all his life and only recently discovered contained the fearsome Kyuubi no Youkai, was burning bright red. A clear difference from its normal opaque black.

"The hell, ah! Geesh what's goin on?"

The pain only intensified as the seconds went on, until finally it seemed to stop all at once. He breathed a sigh of relief, and vowed to never eat vegetarian ramen again, before... something took hold of his body and flung him upwards towards the roof. "Okay, really, really, never going to eat healthy food ever again, believe it!"

With out warning he felt himself slip into unconsciousness, smothered by an unnatural darkness.

-0-0-0-

Temari was anxious to finally reach Konoha. After leaving that bloody Outpost they had made their way for a full day across the Fire Countries wonderful forests, and bountiful wild life. Bountiful BUG life to be exact. "Shit!" the irritated Kunoichi snapped as she laid unholy destruction upon another mosquito to try and take a taste of her blood. "I hate bugs! I hate them, I hate them, I hate them!"

"Shut up." Gaara said simply, forcefully, for which the irritated Kunoichi instantly obeyed. The oldest of the Sand siblings watched as the younger walked ahead purposefully, ever the picture of calm on the surface, but she knew deep down the monster the boy really was, and had no desire to raise the wrath of the demon slumbering within.

Kankuro grimaced, speaking up once he was sure Gaara was out of ear shot, "Lil Bro's getting antsy again." he gave the sky above a glance, "Full moon in about a week or so, couldn't come at a worse time either, huh?"

"Just don't annoy him." The Desert Rose sighed, rubbing her forehead irritably, "Last thing we need is the 'other' Gaara to come out and be after us."

Baki dropped down from the trees, halting the forward march of the trio. "Well set up camp here tonight, Konoha's about another eight hours march, should reach it early tomorrow afternoon." he gazed pointedly at the red head, "You got night watch again."

Gaara nodded, simply watching as the rest of their little troupe began clearing away a suitable camp site and setting up their sleeping bags. He looked up suddenly just as the sun faded fully over the horizon, a feeling of foreboding quivering deep within his gut. 'Something's coming...'

-0-0-0-

The fire crackled, casting it's lengthened shadows around the camp site, farther to the trees surrounding them and beyond. Temari didn't know what amazed her more, the fact they managed to get as far as they did - hell they could practically see the out fringes of Konoha's gates if they tried really hard - or that Gaara hadn't gone into a murderous rampage and killed them all.

Staring out from their camp site at the numerous other camp fires in other directions, she grimaced. After such a long trip she had been hoping to get a room with a bed, lavish in a steaming Hot spring until she pruned, and just rest comfortably for a change. Oh no, never that easy. Konoha required all visiting Nin's to spend one night outside their gates as a show of respect and sub service to the Hidden Village.

'Yeah, right, they just want to send their ANBU out to make sure we aren't Iwa-nin or Kami knows what else trying to infiltrate their village.' She looked up at the over hanging trees in disgust, 'No doubt their already running around spying on us, creepy Konoha bastards.'

"Go to sleep, Temari." Baki looked up from where he had been resting his eyes, "From now until the end of the Chuuin exams, consider everything a mission, and act accordingly. We're... guests here, as such we have our roles to play."

Kankuro grimaced, but nodded. "Basically 'Be on your best behavior, children.' Come on Baki, we aren't idiots!"

"I really wonder some times." she couldn't help but chime in with an amused smirk.

The Puppeteer snorted, "Like you're one to talk, sister-o-mine! I saw you didn't put your hair up today, hmm, wanted to look a little less like a raging Tomboy on PMS for those prissy Konoha-nin, did ya?"

Temari did NOT sputter indignantly at the insult. No, she didn't. She did pull out her battle fan, a final gift of their mothers, "Tell me teme, have you ever heard that ancient story of the 'Nutcracker'?" her smile was sweet, innocent, but her eyes belied her message 'Keep talking dick head, and worrying about what I do or don't do with my hair will be the LEAST of your concerns.

"Quiet down the both of you, you're acting like children." Baki deadpanned, glaring at the two, "We're not in Wind, we aren't in Sand, this isn't a game. Everyone within a hundred mile radius will be eager to pick you apart physically and mentally. They'll tear you down, using whatever weaknesses you've given them through your inane chatter, and when your at your weakest.." he crossed his thumb across his throat, the intent made clear.

The two grumbled, giving each other one last withering glare, before sliding into their sleeping bags.

-0-0-0-

"Oi!" Naruto awoke with a shiver, a colder then penguin shit gale of wind prickling his skin. He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs from his sleep addled mind. Last thing he remembered was trying to sleep, then a whole lot of weird shit happening, then passing out. He blearily gave his surroundings a look over before screaming in terror.

He was on an iced over lake, by itself nothing to be concerned with right? Wrong, of course not, nothing was ever that easy. People, living people, where frozen in the lake. Some submerged upside down with their feet kicking desperately, some with their heads above the ice screaming in agony as the cold biting wind drived at their eyes, were as some were otherwise completely submerged.

Definitely not normal, but that wasn't the kicker either. A large shadow grew over head, as large as any he had ever seen in his short miserable life, yet despite his instincts screaming not to look up, he couldn't resist. So he did, and boy did he ever wish he hadn't.

A beast, a large sickly like dragon thing with six magnificent wings of black leather flew overhead, with three gigantic heads some how screaming bloody rage as they happily munched on people in their gigantic maws. His only consolation was the fact whatever IT was hadn't even noticed him. Yet, at least.

The sound of crushing ice caught his attention, snapping around he spied what an eerily familiar figure glaring at him with a very familiar pair of eyes. It didn't take him long, as pumped with adrenaline as he was to put two and two together. He was staying at himself!

No wait. He couldn't be staring at himself, he was who he was so this guy had to be some one else. 'That's Not Me!'

'Never eating Vegetarian ramen ever... EVER AGAIN!'

"Oi! Oi! What the hell is going on here? Who the heck are you! What's going on here!" he Obnoxiously demanded of the 'Not Me'.

'Not Me' grimaced, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "God damn I was one annoying son of a bitch!"

"Oi! Stop talking about yourself and answer my damn question, jack ass!" was the colorful retort.

'Not Me' sighed, before flinging his arm forward, a monstrous wave of red chakra following the motion and wrapping around the 'Mini-me', "I ain't gonna answer the questions of the dead, punk."

'Mini-me' knew no more as the Red Chakra invaded his body.

-0-0-0-

He watched her, sleeping so comfortably in her sleeping bag. He memorized her face, every contour, the way her cheeks often flushed when a particularly biting wind made it's way into their camp. He watched... because that was what he did. If he wasn't watching, he was killing. It was who he was, and shall always be.

So he watched his sister because she was the only one he COULD watch with out getting angry. He didn't understand it, he didn't care to understand it, it was simply fact.

Gaara watched, because in the dead of night when everyone slept no one would ever know, or care.

No one.

Ever.

"Gaara?"

He startled. 'Awake?' but as quickly as his surprise came it was buried beneath the Ice of his mind. "What do you want?" he returned harshly.

If Temari was scared by his words, she didn't show it. She never showed fear with him anymore, her terrible jade eyes that he felt could piece straight down into his soul held not a hint of disgust. It confused him, yet when things normally confused him he'd crush them and be done with it, but not Temari... he couldn't bring himself to do it, and that only confused him more.

"Good night little brother." she whispered softly, eyes slowing drifting to a close as she fell back into the land of dreams.

He couldn't bring himself to crush the annoying female... because she wasn't annoying to HIM. She...

Gaara blinked, torn from his inner-monologue as suddenly, with out provocation, the Gourd on his back lost it's form, collapsing into one big pile of sand. 'Disruption Jutsu? How could they..." he scowled as his Sand armor too lost it's form, and for the first time since he was born the pale soft skin underneath was laid bare for the entire world to see. Words of warning, of desperation never attributed to the youngest sibling died on his lips faster then they could form as a piercing, all encompassing pain slammed into his gut. He felt on fire, his veins burning with molten lava, but as quickly as it came the feeling fled him.

All feeling fled him.

He blacked out.

-0-0-0-

Drip drip drip of the annoying tap registered vaguely at the edge of his consciousness, like small needles digging deeper into his mind with each subsequent fall of water. Naruto groaned as his eyes fluttered opened, staring blankly at an eerily familiar roof. 'What the hell happened?' he groused mentally, before an intense, more urgent pressure in his body forced him to discard the thought entirely.

Climbing to his feet, he paid little to no attention to his immediate surroundings, stumbling instead towards the bathroom. 'Piss, piss, piss, I got to take a piss, oh god I need to piss' where his thoughts as he quickly found a moderately clean looking corner and began relieving himself. As the pressing pain in his abdomen subsided, conscious thought began to assert itself more fully. His attention was first drawn to the relatively clean toilet to his left, and for a moment he stared at it curiously.

'Toilet? Man, ain't seen one of those in years. I musta passed out at some rich dick heads place.' he shrugged, altering the aim of his stream off the wall and to the toilet. Even as he did so more and more curiosities began to alert his mind. 'Towels? Clean ones too... geesh what kind of mother fucker manages to get clean towels in this day and age?'

Shaking his snake, he zipped up his pants. 'I swear if this fucking place has running water, I'm gonna find whoever owns it and kill him. You keep what you kill, after all, hehehe.' he reached out and flushed the toilet. The rather aggravating sound of rusty pipes banging against the wall as it pumped out water did little to quench the jealousy Naruto felt at finding some one on this fucked up world with running water. 'That's it, some one's gonna die.'

He turned to storm balefully out into the main room, screaming obscenities right before blasting whoever the hell he found, when he caught h reflection in the mirror. A chill crept up his spine and settled over his chest. 'God... no, anything but that, please, I'll do anything... please don't let me..."

He looked.

He screamed in agony as he took stock of what he saw. Him, only young, very very damn young. Everything started to come back to him, the crappy apartment, the shitty pipes and the racket they use to make whenever he used them. This was his apartment before Konoha got nuked off the map. What the fuck was going on? Last thing he remembered was Orochimaru...

"Oh you communist twinkle toe cock sucker!" he screamed, punching the mirror and shattering the glass. The shards bit deep into his skin, drawing blood, but he ignored it in favor of rage. "I'm going to kill him! I'll track his pedophile ass down, tear off his head and fucking stuff it full of Flayer shit! Then I'll shove it up his ass out of spite!"

-0-0-0-

TBC... slowly


	3. Chapter 3

Advent of Hell

Written by: Matdeception

Disclaimer: My plans to track down Bakamoto, the real owner of Naruto, is still in it's beginning phases. But oh, when I find him, the Heavens will burn.

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Chapter Two: You have got to be shitting me.

-0-0-0-

He supposed if he was anyone else he would be screaming. If he didn't happen to possess over thirty seven years of experience fighting Demons of all Variety, both appearance and pastel, he'd cry in horror at the monstrosity laying in shreds across his living room floor. He supposed if he was a whiney little punk, this entire chain of thought would matter.

But he wasn't.

So it didn't.

However there was no denying the facts, no way around the truth as he saw it right before his eyes. He could have forgiven himself almost anything, what with being a stupid kid with barely two neurons firing in his tiny little skull, but he couldn't quite drudge up the needed apathy to excuse this fucking travesty.

"Orange. Fucking Orange." Naruto scowled, gripping the rough fabric irritably. He absolutely hated the color, it was an eyesore, a pain in the ass to keep clean, and just ugly to look at. "Didn't I have anything cool when I was a kid? Fuck, I'd take a lime green sweater with a note on my back telling everyone to kick my ass over this Orange shit!"

He tossed the now shredded jacket to the ground in victory over the disgusting color, collapsing across his bed he stared at the roof, mind drifting from thought to painful thought about just what kind of fuck up situation he had found himself in. It didn't take a genius to figure out certain things, like being in the past, which was painfully obviously. Just 'when' in the past, however, he didn't have a blasted clue. Obviously before the Gates leading to the Nine Circles were opened, the distinct lack of that joyous, if tiresome, Hell on Earth appearance had to mean something. Yet what could have led that back stabbing, body snatching little gutter snake to do something like this? Never mind how, he wasn't even going to touch that particular pitfall with a ten foot pole.

He liked his quasi-claim on sanity, thank you very much.

He tried to recap his final memories before waking up... whenever the hell he was. 'Paramina Rift, Orochimaru's Lab, Gaara...' her sat up suddenly, eyes squinted in thought as he scratched his chin. That's right, Gaara was there, but did, hell would Orochi-teme do the same thing to the Sand Freak that he did to him? Gaara and Orochimaru were at best 'distant' friends, never really got along, but never really pissed each other off. Well, not counting the failed Konoha Crush years ago, but Naruto really couldn't blame Orochimaru for being pissed. Yeas of articulate planning washed away in the blink of an eye because one, arguably, overpowered Jinchuuriki couldn't beat a 'Dead last'? Oh yeah, if it was him, he'd be out for blood. Still, the possibility that Gaara was here was a comfort, one that caused the subtle warmth of hope to spread through his chest comfortingly.

Naruto blinked, rubbing his chest. 'Strange.' he thought with a grimace, not particularly enjoying the alien experience.

He banished his curiosity quickly, turning his troubled thoughts back to the matter at hand. 'Right, so either Orochi-teme sent me and Gaara back to take over the world, or he wanted us to destroy the Portals, and then take over the world.' he nodded, fist to palm and cracking a grin. A chance to stop the invasion? Cool, cool. Not something he would have thought of, but then again Orochi-teme was the mad scientist so it was only to be expected. A second chance to save all those people he loved so long ago...

Eh, fuck that. Watching them die once, or even killing them himself was bad enough, he had no intention of becoming attached to people from Konoha ever again.

Still, a chance to stop the portals...

'Fuck? Is there nothing else worth doing? I'm in the fuckin past, come on Naruto! Think bastard!' the blonde scowled, rubbing his forehead irritably.

"Well at least I'll always have that 'Take over the world' option." he finally sighed.

-0-0-0-

Jade eyes snapped open in the darkness of oblivion, tiny pinpoints of colors so unwelcome it almost hurt to look at. Gaara struggled to make sense of it all, struggled to find where up was up and down was down and where everything just made fucking sense. He couldn't breath, there was no air, but he wasn't suffocating. He couldn't move, because there simply was no where to move to. There was nothing, a desert of oblivion stretched out everywhere but lead no where.

How long had he been drifting through this nothingness? He couldn't tell. Here a second was a minute and a minute was a second, where time lost all meaning and tangible presence. Oh what he wouldn't give to have something in his hands, preferably soft and cute, like a rabbit, so he could crush the pathetic creature and bathe in it's blood. To prove, if nothing else, that he was still alive

Gaara blinked. 'There!' he glanced... how he didn't know, but he saw. For the first time since he came to... wherever he was, he could see something. Far off, a figure with burning red hair that stood out so glaringly it was almost blinding to look at. Closer and closer it came upon a horse as black as the void yet with flaming eyes and burning mane.

The figure rode up, and for the first time Gaara could really make out what he was seeing. The man, for he was certainly no child, sat upon a Nightmare made real, the mythical once-unicorns that had been twisted by dark energies of worlds beyond. Dressed in an olive colored garment that managed to cover his whole body, at his waist resting a strange sword. He had seen many weapons in his short life, he was no expert but he knew at least the most basic of weapons one could honestly expect to run into while out on the field, and this didn't look like them by any measure. It was rather long, six feet at the most, with a curling red design like fire starting at it's tip and flowing down to it's hilt.

It felt wrong. It felt evil on a scale that made his mad quest for blood tame in comparison.

"Who are you?" Gaara growled dangerously. He still couldn't feel his sand, nor had his mother said a single word since they had arrived here, but old habits were hard to break.

The man with eerily jade eyes stared for a time, before in one lightning quick motion he had pulled the sword free and stabbed it into Gaara's chest.

Gaara twitched even as he felt the sword pierce straight through his body. Darkness soon began to claim him, but right on the edge of oblivion he heard his murderer speak.

"Charon."

-0-0-0-

Jade eyes flashed open, greeted by a canopy of stars slightly blocked by overhanging trees and leaves. 'What... happened?' He felt dazed, aware yet not aware that there was more to the world then the stars he stared at, yet unable to bring that knowledge forward to realization. The stars were as alien as they were familiar, he could not dredge up a recent memory in which he saw the jewels of the sky shine so brightly.

"Stars light the way to salvation." he murmured softly, lost in thought. "Know that there are no more stars, the light of Hope forever doused upon the Altar of Darkness." Those words... he frowned, forcibly clearing away the haze that had gripped his mind. As it cleared, he started to realize something was very, very wrong.

Stars being his first inclination, the glittering diamonds having long ago shrouded by the dark of the demon invasion. In thirty seven years he nor anyone had seen the stars, never. Not ever.

He leaned up slowly and stared. Forests, green with life and vibrancy. His second clue that things were not as they were. Trees no longer existed, except in highly secret and coveted locations hidden deep beneath ground, the Invaders having long since taken to destroying the oxygen supplying plants in an effort to suffocate what remnants of Humanity still struggled against their unstoppable hordes.

He gazed across the small clearing curiously, eyes tracing over every blade of grass, the burnt out fire, the three slumbering forms beneath comfortable looking blankets, to the large metal fan...

Gaara felt his blood turn to ice. The fan... it was THAT fan. The love of his mother given unto the sister, the weapon that not so much as commanded the wind, but WAS the wind. The fan that he had buried with his dear sister, the victim of jealousy and hate... "Temari?" his voice cracked, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Her head was just poking out of the covers, with skin so pink and healthy there was no mistaking that she lived.

That she breathed.

That she was ALIVE!

Gaara smiled even as he settled back into his role as the silent sentinel. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or what the hell was going on, but for tonight he'd watch his sister sleep and wish this dream would never end.

-0-0-0-

Yamanaka Ino was easily irritated, quick witted with a sharp tongue, and woe to anyone who ever roused her fiery temper for she would burn like the heart of the sun until retribution was met. To date, much to the blonde's eternal shame and regret, only one person in all of Konoha had ever gotten away with upsetting like that, and that was Sakura, especially when she had managed to get THE Uchiha Sasuke on her Genin team. He was the prize stud of their year as well as the unwitting, rumors may say unwanted but Ino knew better, affection of nearly every single girl in their age category. Scandals, even some two or three years their senior! Fortunately for the pinkette, that murderous rage she felt whenever she saw her was tempered, if only slightly, by the fact she ended up with Uzumaki 'I'm Annoying, Huh?' Naruto on her team as well, though she really didn't think that was enough. Yes, Sakura would have to deal with the most obnoxious pain in the ass and talent less Shinobi in all of existence, but that meant very little when you had THE Uchiha Sasuke, prime god of boys everywhere, Shinobi Extraordinaire, and all around bad ass to watch your back and pull you out of the fire when you screw everything up.

She wasn't jealous, she wasn't. Really.

What did she end up with for a team? The laziest, practically Naruto level worthless, Nara Shikamaru and his one ton child hood friend Akamichi Chouji. Trying to get those two to do ANYTHING was like trying to push the Hokage Monument alone with her bare hands. She supposed it wouldn't had been quite as bad if their Jounin-Sensei, Sarutobi Asuma, wasn't just as worthless and stupid as her two male teammates! Why was he even a teacher in the first place? All he did was sit around, crack sexist jokes and smoke enough cigarettes to kill men two times over. If she wasn't around to whip all their asses into motion, she was sure they'd still be working on their first D class mission!

She sighed, quickly shaking thoughts of her most hated ex-girlfriend and her worthless team to the side. Now was not the time to be worried about things like that, no, now was the time to SHOP! She giggled, gripping a small wad of ryou notes tightly in her delicate fingers. "Can we say shopping spree? Hell yes, I knew you could!'

The insane cackling was ignored by those around, though they did start to moving a little bit faster.

Ino grinned, stopping in front of a window and gazing lovingly at the dark purple nin-suit proudly displayed. It was so cute, with little dangling cords that had beads attached to them, and, "OMG! Are those ribbons?" she stopped herself from drooling, but only barely.

A nearby fruit vendor mouthed, "OMG?" before pushing his cart down the street. Yes, he needed money, but he'd much rather not set up his cart anywhere near crazies.

"See something ya like, darling?"

Ino looked up, catching sight of the wrinkly old woman who ran the Nin-Clothing store. Despite looking in her mid sixties, the woman possessed a beauty all her own. Gray colored hair that looked to have taken a life time of special treatment and care adorned her head, with an obvious body-tone the spoke of much exercise and conditioning despite being long past her prime. "Horumo-san! Nice to see you!"

The old women smiled benignly even as she took a long drag of her cigarette. She exhaled slowly, the thick smoke coiling in the air before vanishing. "Nice to see you too, Ino-chan. How's the nin-suit you purchased for graduation holding up?"

"Great!" the blonde chirruped, before losing just a little but of her luster, "Sasuke-kun didn't say anything, but I could tell he at least noticed me!"

'Ah, the crushes of childhood.' Horumo smiled fondly, "Well, maybe we should look into getting you something that's sure to catch the young Uchiha's eye, no?"

Ino grinned, nodding quickly, but before she could speak a loud crash ripped her attention away.

Down the road, near the corner, a rather large horse-drawn cart filled with boxes of all sizes had lost a wheel, sending the cart and it's contents crashing to the ground with a resounding crash.

"What the?" Old man Ginnies screamed, "What the hell happened! Who the hell did this!" eyes narrowed, he examined the street suspecting something. In a show of the most crappy luck a single person could ever have, he spotted and zoomed in on none other then the Village Pariah, Uzumaki Naruto, he was walking down the other side of the street not even paying attention to what had just happened.

Ino grimaced, quickly putting two and two together in her mind. An accident? Never, not with Naruto around. Probably another annoying prank designed to just piss everyone off. It was at this precise moment she thanked whatever God that would listen for not sticking her with that perfect waste of a Ninja, and for a moment felt pity for her Brooding Crush and her Pink haired rival.

"YOU! PUNK!" Ginnies screamed, stomping across the street angrily, he reached out and grabbed his should, twirling him around to face him. "You think you can trash my cart and get away with it, huh?"

Naruto stared at the man for a moment, then gazed at the cart, before turning back to the man, simply responding.

"You ever touch me again, I'll crush your face in."

Ino rolled her eyes, 'Stop acting so tough and cool, idiot!'

Apparently Ginnies wasn't to be swayed, he snorted and physically pushed the boy back as hard as he could. When the boy didn't fall down, but merely backed up a step, he was rather surprised. At least until the boy jumped up and punched him in the face, knocking the old bastard clean off his feet and onto his back, a wide spray of blood and teeth erupting in an arc and staining a nearby wall.

Ino felt her blood run cold at the sight. She did not just see that, no, she had to be hallucinating. There was no way Naruto, the dead last stupid idiot actually punched a civilian right the hell out! Not just any civilian either, Ginnies was a well know retired Chuuin! That shouldn't be possible, no matter how long he had been out of service. No one, not even her Sasuke-kun... okay, maybe Sasuke, but no one else should be capable of something like that!

Naruto sneered as he grabbed the dazed man by his shirt, lifting him up as he pulled back with clenched fist. "I said..." he slammed into him again, the sickening sound of skin smashing skin echoing loud enough to reach everyone staring, "... You ever touch me again..." he slammed home again, this time with a sickening crunch as he broke the mans jaw and blood splattered from the force of the blow "... I'll crush your face in." he finished then with a devastating hay maker that broke the man's nose.

Ginnies gurgled in his own blood, eyes rolled back as he slumped unmoving. Naruto let him go, grinning nastily as he stared down at the bloodied man. Reaching down the blonde rummaged through Ginnies shirt pocket, pulling out an unopened pack of cigarettes. If anything his grin turned manic as he ripped the pack open like a nicotine fiend who had gone far to long with out a precious drag.

Ino watched, horrified, as he popped a cancer stick in his mouth before flicking his thumb out, which ignited in burning red chakra before lighting his cigarette.

Naruto sighed happily as he walked towards Ino and the stone still Horumo, the old woman's eyes glued to the blonde as if her life depended on it. As he moved past Ino he stopped, sharp blue eyes boring holes into the older woman. He stared at her for a time, before he smiled with fangs bared, "Boo."

Horumo turned white as a ghost, jabbering insanely as she fell back into her store and kicked the door closed.

Ino winced as the telltale sounds of locks, many many locks, were put into place.

"Heh." Naruto grinned, glancing at the platinum blond girl, before turning and leaving.

"What... what just happened here?" Ino asked dazedly nearly five minutes after Naruto had left.

-0-0-0-

Asuma hated him. His nemesis, the arch fiend that time and time again crushed him no matter what he tried to do to counter the assault. Yet this time, yes this time, he was sure he would eek out a victory. He would crush the opposition once and for all and stand Victorious over his beaten form. He would destroy him, he would laugh at his defeated foe, nothing could stop him! Nothing!

"Check mate." Shikamaru moved his piece into place, letting out the tired yawn of a man who found it all incredibly boring.

And Troublesome. Couldn't forget that.

Asuma flicked his cigarette, sighing. 'Crushed once again, will I ever win I wonder?'

Chouji grumbled, holding his tummy sadly, "Asuma-sensei!" he whined, "Where's Ino? Why the special meeting! Can't you just tell us so we can go get something to eat?"

"Patience Chouji." the older man scratched his beard irritably. The late Yamanaka was beginning to annoy even him, just where was that blasted girl? "I have something rather important to tell you three, wouldn't be fair to spill the beans with out Ino here."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "You've nominated us for the Chuuin exams, right?"

Asuma coughed, nearly swallowing his cigarette.

"Che. Troublesome."

"Whoa... is that true?" the fat boy blinked. Chuuin exams? Wasn't that where a bunch of Genin's fought it out and whoever won got promoted? He suddenly decided he didn't care to take such an annoying test at all.

"Yes." Asuma said tiredly, not able to even ask how Shikamaru had figured it out with out him so much as dropping a hint. It was something he had learned early on as a Sensei. The boy was smart, terribly smart, hell he was too damn smart for his age. And Observant, very very observant. A deadly combination for a shinobi, to be sure, but at times it was nothing more then an annoying hindrance to his teaching method. "We're still going to wait for Ino."

"Aww!" Chouji sighed, grumbling. He was hungry, had been for ages, and now he couldn't even leave to eat until Ino showed up? The horror!

Perhaps in answer to Chouji's silent prayers, Ino chose that moment to show up, walking through the gate. She moved rather sluggishly, like she was lost in a daze, or suffering from some kind of shock.

"Ino." Asuma poked the girl on the arm when she sat down.

Ino blinked, coming back to herself. She quickly turned decidedly pink for being caught with her head in the clouds. "Uh, no, I... I was just thinking!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow tiredly. "We didn't say anything."

"Hmph!" Ino frowned, snapping hotly "Whatever! Sensei why'd you call us here? I thought we had the rest of the day off!"

"Chuuin exams." the chronic smoker said simply, tossing registration forms on the table, "I've nominated you, congratulations."

"Who else got nominated?" Ino asked, a beacon of curiosity as she picked up a form.

"Hatake and Yuuhi's kids, plus a Genin Cell that graduated the year before you guys." Asuma shrugged. "Maybe some other teams, I didn't really pay attention."

"Naruto?" The blonde grimaced.

"Che, troublesome." Three guesses who that was.

The older man nodded, "He's in Hatake's team, so yeah, he'll be there." he frowned when the girl turned slightly pale, "Something wrong, Ino? Did this Naruto guy piss you off or something?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "He's the class clown, his pranks are pretty annoying, so yeah it's a good bet he did."

Ino ignored the Nara scion, eyes narrowing, "Did something happen to Team Seven? Naruto was acting really... oh, BEYOND strange."

"Beyond strange?" Asuma blinked. He didn't know the kid personally, but the rumors about his exploits were more then enough to tell him 'Strange' didn't do the boy justice, not at all. "How do you figure?"

"Just..." the blond growled, "He beat up old man Ginnies to within an inch of his life just for TOUCHING him, never mind he was SMOKING." she glared at Asuma, who quietly put out his cigarette in response.

"Wait." Chouji blinked, disbelief plain across his face, "Isn't Ginnies an Ex-Chuuin? How could Naruto of all people beat a guy like that up?"

"That's what I want to know!" she glared pointedly at Asuma.

"Hmmm." Asuma shrugged, considering his options. Well, it wouldn't hurt anything, it certainly wasn't classified. "C-rank mission to Wave went pretty bad, ended up being an A-rank. Don't know the gritty details, but some death was involved."

'Death?' the word echoed in the children's mind, before Ino remembered something that had been bothering her for awhile. "Sensei? Is it possible to have a different color for your Chakra besides blue?"

Asuma blinked, surprised. "Uh, no. All Chakra generally appears as a mixture of blue and white when it's brought out, why?"

"Because Naruto's was red, and it seemed to... burn."

-0-0-0-

The older man grimaced. 'Red Chakra? Whatever could Kakashi be teaching the brat?'

Temari felt odd. Just odd, like something had changed and was sitting right under her nose, waiting for her to notice. She didn't like to feel odd, not at all. The last time she had felt odd was four years ago when her brother had come home covered in blood, and with a strange tattoo above his left eye. Feeling Odd spoke of change more often then not, and usually for the worst if she didn't take precautions to lighten the blow when whatever was odd hit them.

She glanced around the nearly empty Konoha street and frowned. "Is it just me... or is this place... empty?"

Kankuro blinked, looking around. Empty streets, buildings that looked up-kept but unlived in, there was even graffiti on the walls. Eyes narrowed, he frowned darkly, "Hey, Temari, Gaara, take a look at this."

Temari winced even as Gaara stopped. If there was one thing she had learned about her brother, it was that he hated being told what to do, by anyone. Only Baki-sensei ever seemed to get away with it, but he never actually told him to do anything, rather he respectfully informed or asked.

"Die demon, die." The red headed demon-child read the words, turning his gaze towards Kankuro. "It means we're heading in the right direction."

Kankuro bit his lip at that, but said nothing.

Temari really had to hand it to Kankuro, that was a show of restraint rarely seen in him. She sighed loudly, drawing Gaara's attention, asking the question her brother so desperately wanted to. "Ne, Gaara, where exactly are we going? This isn't the way to the hotel Baki-sensei told us about."

Gaara stared at her for a minute, then two. Temari grimaced inwardly as the seconds wore on - This was one of the odd things she had been noticing, ever since this morning her dear little brother had stared at her constantly. She tried to ignore it, thinking it a trick or maybe he wasn't really looking at her but her fan, something he had done quite often when he learned it belonged to their mother, but the more she caught him the more she realized that he was in fact staring at her. Her eyes, her nose, her lips, her hair, he just stared. It brought up emotions she had long since learned to bury, fear amongst them.

'If you show fear, he will crush you. If you show fear, you'll die before you realize the sand has you. Show no fear, Temari-chan, and he will not know what to do. Wait, be patient, and by your will we will all finally know peace.' She repeated those words she heard oh so long ago from her uncle before he died, drawing strength from such a simple thing.

"I am looking for some one." Gaara finally said, breaking his stare as he moved on, "A 'friend'." he put emphasis on the 'friend' part as he walked on.

Kankuro stood in shocked awe.

Temari nervously chewed on her lower lip, whispering as quietly as she could so Gaara wouldn't hear, "A friend? I didn't know he even knew anyone from Konoha." she touched her stomach as it sunk, "This must be that odd feeling I've been..."

"Oh great!" Kankuro snarled, "You and your odd feelings! I swear to god, one day that 'Odd' feeling of yours is going to be a meteor the size of Kumo crashing down on our heads!"

Temari frowned, stomping off irritably, "Your such a damn emo."

-0-0-0-

What would you do if you where a thirty seven year old man, armed with all the power of a psychotic, if a bit playful, Nine-tailed demon? What would you do if you suddenly found yourself thrust back into the past, escaping an Invasion of Demons, Devils, and all sorts of nasties hell bent on wiping you and your pathetic race off the face of the planet? In a body that didn't belong to you, but now some how did with no explanation what so ever on just how it happened?

If you were Uzumaki Naruto you'd be sleeping in a tree, unaware of a certain trio of Nin approaching, nor just how annoyed they, or the leader, was with him at that particular moment in time.

Gaara scowled inwardly. Four hours, four damn hours and he hadn't seen hide no hair of Uzumaki. He had stopped by his apartment to find it completely deserted, and aside from the shredded remains of an orange jump suit, not a clue as to what his brother in misery had been doing. Truthfully when he had first seen the destroyed jump suit he had been happy, considering just how much Naruto hated the color, especially after Konoha had been wiped off the face of the map by the 8th army of Malebolge.

His siblings looked just as irritated as he felt, but he knew they wouldn't say anything. Kankuro was an open book, his fear wafting so strong he could almost smell it, just like the Kankuro he had known before his death at the battle of Tarkeil. No, he wasn't anything to worry about, his sister on the other hand was... different from what he remembered of her in his youth. She hid her fear well, far to well for anyone her age. Were in the other world her fear was as palpable as Kankuro's, here it just didn't exist, even when he stared at her in his patented 'Unnerving Glare of Doom'. He had made greater demons run in absolute terror from that look, but apparently his dear sister was made of sterner stuff here.

He didn't know if he should be happy or wary. He wasn't a psychologist, never pretended to be. He tended to send them to hell whenever they tried to diagnose him, but despite that even he knew many of a persons attitudes and mannerisms were constructed by their environment. Sure, genetics had a hand in it, but it paled to the impact made by ones surroundings. To change a person's attitude took something significant and, often times, terribly unpleasant.

He really didn't want to know what could have been bad enough to change his severe tomboyish sister into a reserved tomboyish one.

"Gaara." Temari sighed, tired and even a little bit irritated, "We've been looking for this 'friend' of yours for hours, can we just accept the fact we aren't going to find him and go home? Please? My fucking feet are killing me!"

'Maybe not so reserved after all.' Gaara mused inwardly. Maybe she was right and they should go back, he wouldn't admit it but he was dog tired and was looking forward to some sleep. "You're right..." he stopped, head snapping right, then left, then up where he frowned dangerously.

Temari and Kankuro both followed his gaze, spying a young boy with sun kissed hairs and the weirdest facial tattoos (Kankuro thought they looked fashionable) they had seen in the last twelve hours (Again, no one can beat Kankuro in this department). He wore a simply white shirt with a burning red swirl on the back, accompanied by short black shorts that showed off his rather well toned legs.

'Chicken legs as Temari would put it.' Gaara grinned, "There he is."

Temari grimaced inwardly even while she remained the epitome of calm on the outside. 'Civilian, little older then Gaara. There's no way Gaara would ever take the time to get to know a Civi.' she paled despite herself, 'Oh geesh... he's going to kill him! A 'friend' he said! I should have known!' she sighed as Gaara walked up to the tree and stared at the slumbering boy. Any second now the sand would come out and they'd have a blood smear were a cute little boy once slept.

Gaara sighed. He knew he'd catch hell for this, but when you needed Naruto awake, there was no better way. He took in a deep breath and yelled, "Exposed Tits, three o'clock!"

Naruto's eyes snapped open like a thunder bolt, he flipped down to the path, eyes wide and frantic as he scoured the area, "WHERE?"

Temari teetered over and fell on her butt.

Kankuro's cheeks turned slightly pink, but he covered that with a look of disgust.

The blonde frowned, standing up straight. "All right, who's the son of a bitch who..." he trailed off as he turned around, crystalline blue meeting jade green eyes. Slowly, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Gaara."

Gaara nodded, crossing his arms, "I thought as much."

Naruto nodded with a scowl, "Brother... you know how much I hate it when you pull that shit."

"And you know how much I hate having to spend hours looking for you." the red head glowered, "What's your excuse this time?"

"Eermm.. ah." he had the grace to look sheepish, "I... kinda got lost."

Kankuro couldn't help it, he snapped, "Wait a minute, doesn't your friend live here Gaara? How the hell could he get lost in his own village?"

Naruto growled irritably, "The same way you conveniently 'forget' puppets aren't suppose to be used for Masturbation!"

The puppeteer turned atomic rouge at the insult, but said nothing. The piercing glare from Gaara held him firmly in place.

Temari turned green at the thought. "Uh, girl here!" she waved frantically, "Can we not talk about something as disgusting as my brother using his puppets to get off? Please?"

The blonde blinked, gaze softening as he turned towards the Desert rose. "Kami... Gaara, your sister's beautiful..." he grinned, "Your 'letters' never said anything about her being that hot."

Cheeks turned decidedly pink even as her eyes narrowed dangerously, Temari growled "Watch it, little boy, I don't want to have to hurt you."

Gaara sighed. He really shouldn't have expected anything different from Naruto. He'd been a man of loose morals since Konoha was destroyed, he shouldn't have hoped he would have changed with their body switch. "Flirt with my sister later, Naruto. I'm tired and wish to relax." He never even noticed the shocked expression Temari shot him at the word 'sister'.

"I hear ya." the blonde grinned as he started digging through some bushes, "Didn't really expect to see ya today, but I... eh, guess yer here for the Chuuin exams right?" the brief paused didn't seem to be noticed by anyone.

Temari frowned.

Gaara nodded, "It was the only reason to come to Konoha in the first place."

"Mmmhmmm." the blonde nodded as he fished out a rather large paper bag stuffed with what looked like bottles of... something. "Didn't get the usual amount, but this should get us nice and buzzed."

The red head frowned, looking over the bags, "Cigar..." he stopped suddenly, a unopened pack held out, "Your preparations meet with my approval."

Naruto grunted, eyeing the two siblings. Kankuro looked little more then a tomato ready to pop, and he was sure that pulsing vein wasn't a healthy sign, while Temari looked shell shocked, her jade eyes alternating between the two of them. 'So cute.' the blonde sighed as a pang of... something echoed in his chest. He ignored the alien feeling, he'll figure it out later. "Ne, Temari-chan, Kankuro, you two wanna come get blitzed outta yer mind?"

Gaara frowned, glancing at his two siblings before shrugging at their timid looks, "We would welcome the company."

Kankuro grumbled, "Uh, no thanks, I'm tired. Think I'll just go home and sleep." he glanced towards Temari expectantly.

"Sure."

Kankuro goggled, "What? Temari, you can't be seriously thinking about..."

"Shut it, Ken." Naruto growled as he hefted up the bag, "Temari-chan's a big girl, she can handle herself."

"Enough of this." Gaara snapped, grabbing the blonde boy by the scruff of his neck, "Your place, now."

"Yeah yeah." the boy scowled as he was dragged off, "Hold yer damn horses, we'll get our drink on soon enough!"

Kankuro watched them leave with narrowed eyes, "You can't be serious sis."

"Think for a moment, idiot." Temari scowled, "Gaara has been acting weird all day, then all of a sudden some guy neither of us have heard of much less know comes out of nowhere and talks to Gaara like he's known him forever." she hesitated then, uncertainty evident, "Besides... you heard what he called me, didn't you?"

"Sister." the puppeteer nodded, oddly subdued, "I don't think I've ever heard him say something like that."

Temari nodded sadly, "I swore to Yashamaru I'd take care of Gaara..."

"Yeah, right before Gaara killed him." Kankuro angrily reminded.

"Right before dear ole 'Dad' ordered Uncle to kill him." Temari countered harshly. She sighed, tone softening, "Look, go back to the hotel and tell Baki about what's going on. I got an odd feeling that boy Naruto is at the root of this."

Kankuro looked up and screamed to the heavens, "OH SURE! A FUCKING METEOR WOULDA BEEN TOO GOOD FOR US! YOU HAD TO FUCK WITH GAARA, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Temari rubbed her abused ears as she ran off, "Geesh, would you cut your wrists already? Emo freak."

Kankuro her flipped the bird.

-0-0-0-

TBC... Yeah baby.


	4. Chapter 4

Advent of Hell

Written by: Matdeception

Disclaimer: I can't even think up of something annoying to put here. Don't own anything, blah.

Author's Notes: Yeah...

-0-0-0-

Chapter 3: Drinking is bad, m'kay.

-0-0-0-

Temari woke up and immediately wished she hadn't, her head threatening to crack in two at the sheer ungodly pain reverberating behind her eyes. Oh Jesus, what the hell had she done last night to deserve such a nasty wake up? She covered her eyes to block to morning rays filtering through the small window, trying to focus her thoughts into something other then the jumbled mess they were in. There was something there, just at the edge of her brain... She had gone out with Gaara and some guy named Naruto, they had done quite a bit of drinking and talking, she had even been drunk enough to dance with the blonde when he had asked.

She blushed red, remembering that it wasn't so much as a dance but a convenient reason to rub their bodies together as fast and as hard as possible. 'Kami I was really, really fucked up last night.'

"Fun night, eh, Temari-chan?"

She startled, finally taking stock of just where she was, and what was around her exactly. The blonde boy, Naruto, sat at the table staring blankly into space as he nursed a small glass of a brown colored liquid. He looked rather sullen, lost in thought. "Uh... yeah..." she cursed at herself at how shaky her voice sounded. She was not nervous being alone with him, she wasn't damn it.

Naruto grunted, slamming back his drink before standing up, "Ain't got much time before we gotta go, well, not if we want to make it to our..." he grinned, "... oh so important Chuunin exams."

'Oh, right. Chuunin exams...' she groaned at that, rubbing her aching forehead tiredly. "Just my luck, why didn't I think about that before getting wasted, this hang over... ugh, just fail me now and be done with it."

Naruto chuckled as he disappeared into the kitchen, "Ahh, take it easy Temari-chan, I'll fix ya up a home remedy that'll knock that stupid hang over right the fuck out." a series of loud crashes in the Kitchen, followed by muffled cursing didn't help exactly install a sense of confidence in this so called 'Home Remedy.'

"I'm going to take a bath while you do that." She dragged herself off the couch, dimly hearing a grunted response from the kitchen as she grabbed a change of clothes and vanished into the bathroom. The rather dirty room was the least of her concerns, as long as the water was scorching hot she honestly wouldn't care if a demon made of shit crawled out of the toilet and asked to borrow some sugar.

She slid into the tub once it was filled, the steaming hot water washing over her tired body that left her sighing in contentment. She stared at the roof, mind lost in thoughts of last night, of how they had arrived and immediately began with shots of a stinging brown liquid that burned terribly on it's way down, Brandy Naruto had called it. She had hoped to learn something useful about the blonde, but he wouldn't have any of that, pouring shot after shot until the three of them were so shit faced drunk neither were seeing straight. She had been really nervous at first about Gaara partaking of the liquid courage, but after the fourth or fifth glass she realized she stopped caring entirely...

Everything just seemed to flow. Conversation, jokes, she could clearly remember giggling endlessly about some girl Naruto had known who got so drunk once she had streaked crossed the village in her birthday suit screaming out for her 'TenTen-chan', though she really wished he hadn't been staring at her so pointedly during the story, it just felt weird.

Everything seemed to flow together after that, dancing, more drinking, some jokes about how Gaara and Naruto were going to ass rape some 'snake' in the Chuunin exams - Though now that she thought about it, she must have been hearing things. Gaara would never say anything like that, had to be the booze talking. She frowned then, trying to remember how the night had actually ended before she passed out on the couch. She had just finished a rather racy, fast paced dance with Naruto when she collapsed on the couch, the blonde had followed and sat beside her.

There was something there... Temari frowned. Yes, she was sure something else had happened before she actually passed out. Naruto had whispered... something, and she had giggled and then grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him close, their breaths reeked of booze but it didn't stop her as she captured his...

Temari turned bright pink. 'Oh... holy shit, I molested him!' she sunk into the water. Bad Temari, you horrible horrible pervert! The kid had to be twelve, thirteen at the oldest! 'Oh god, oh god, I'm robbing the cradle...'

"Oi!" a banging at the door snapped her out of her embarrassing thoughts, "Hurry up Temari! Remedy's ready, we ain't got long before we gotta go!"

"Piss off!" the girl snapped, "Don't you have any manners? Never interrupt a girl in the bath!"

"Oh geesh!" he growled as he stomped away from the door.

Temari breathed a sigh of relief as he left. She didn't have time to deal with any weird moments, bad enough she had molested the kid, she really didn't want to have him shoving it in her face. Quickly drying off and dressing, she walked out into the living room. Naruto was doing some pull ups on a makeshift bar overhanging the kitchen entrance, shirt off and practically displaying the subtle contours of his muscled torso.

She thought that was weird, kids that age, even Shinobi, didn't tend to have the muscle formation she was seeing in the kid. It wasn't like he was a body builder, no, he was too lean to ever be mistaken as one. Still, in a fear years he would be a scrumptious example of a Man amongst men. She stopped and buried that thought in a folder labeled 'Crazy shit, do not open, ever.' "Bath's open."

Naruto grunted as he finished a pull up before dropping to the ground. "Bout time, gee, I only have fifteen minutes to shower before I have to meet my team."

"Cry me a river, little boy." Temari stuck her tongue out in response.

He rolled his eyes, "Cute Temari-chan, cute." he picked up a cup of some boiling black liquid from the counter, "Here, that Remedy I promised."

Temari blanched, eyeing the substance critically. Did it just hiss at her? "Er... is this safe?"

"Yeah, puts hair on your che..." he stopped and frowned, "Okay, no idea where the hair grows on the girl, but for men it puts hair on the chest."

"That... doesn't help me at all." she deadpanned even as she chugged as much as the horrid tasting liquid down.

"Geesh, the way you act you'd think I was trying to poison you!" Naruto snapped, growing especially amused at the deer in headlights look Temari adopted when she realized the possibility. "Heh, just kidding."

Temari shuddered, putting the cup down. There was a dull warmth in her stomach now, but otherwise she didn't feel any better or worse after drinking the nasty sludge. "Thanks."

"S'no problem." he turned to the bathroom, "Do me a favor and wake Gaara up in five minutes, he's asleep on my bed."

"What?" Temari all but screeched, "Gaara's not asleep is he? That's just a joke right?"

Naruto blinked, "Er, something wrong with Gaara sleeping?" he actually started smiling, like there was some joke in all this Temari couldn't quite see. Not that she was going to try, either.

"Look, we need to wake him up RIGHT NOW!" she screamed, practically racing for the door. She had almost made it when Naruto simply... appeared out of nowhere in front of her, catching her and twirling to the left before slamming her up against the wall, "Whoa whoa whoa! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Naruto! Let me go now, if we don't wake Gaara up something really, really BAD is going to happen." the girl scowled struggling ineffectually against the grip. 'Geesh how strong is this kid?"

Naruto hmmed thoughtfully, before grinning madly, "If yer worried about Shukaku waking up, don't." he let her go then.

Temari stared, "You... you know about the demon?"

"Duh." the blonde snorted, "I've known for a long, long time. Hell, I helped design the overlay seal to hold Shukaku while we got rid of the Dark Moon seal some idiot had put on them." he practically snarled, "It was no fucking wonder Gaara and Shukaku both were going insane, that fucking seal should never have been used on a Jinchuriiki, if I ever find out who did I'll murder them."

Temari rocked back on her proverbial heels. He knew? Not only that, he had done something to the seal keeping the Demon-Lord Shukaku at bay? "Who the fuck are you Uzumaki Naruto, who are you really?"

Naruto stared for a second, then grinned. He stepped forward, so close they were pressed tightly against each other. His breath was hot against her neck as he whispered, "Listen to me Temari, and listen good. You may think I'm a twelve year old horn dog lusting after your body cause your, with out a doubt, one of the hottest kunoichi I've ever met, but that wouldn't be the whole truth." he rubbed his cheek against hers, a sensual gesture that caused that warmth in her stomach to practically ignite into a blazing inferno. "Your beauty isn't only skin deep because you can think, because you can see things those other shallow little girls wouldn't have a prayer of detecting." he pulled back and stared into her eyes, "Use that, think about everything you know, about me, about Gaara. Just THINK, if you do you'll figure everything out on your own." he stepped back as he finished. "Understand?"

"I..." Temari breathed. That warmth in her stomach had been growing exponentially, "I... I..."

She collapsed as all of a sudden consciousness was ripped from her, falling into Naruto's surprised arms. The boy frowned, "Okay... maybe that was a bit over the top."

-0-0-0-

Gaara didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed at the situation. They were walking along the street, Naruto elected (Read: Forced), to carry his unconscious sister piggy back style, the poor girl groaning in her deep slumber.

He decided on amusement. He chuckled.

"Oh shut up." the blonde snapped, "How was I suppose ta know she'd pass out? The Remedy has never failed before!"

"True." Gaara had to give the blonde that. It was curious that it had failed, in all their years of using it since the Demon wars began it had never... he sighed, "Tell me, Naruto, where did you acquire the damp basilisk eyes?"

"Eer..." the boy sweated, "Well, couldn't, but I figured a jar of peppers would be an okay substitute... yeah..."

The redhead sighed, "You're a moron."

"Don't have to be an ass about it." the blonde boy pouted adorably, "Damn this sucks. I need to hurry up and meet my team, why don't you take Temari and go grab Kankuro, we'll meet at the school and figure out what to do from there?"

"I suppose." he spared his slumbering sister a curious glance, more importantly her pink tinged cheeks. A sure sign she was experiencing the... wonderful side effect with the Remedy, and that was it's ability to induce dreams. Not just any dreams, but wet dreams. He shook his head. If there was one thing he had grown wary of around Temari in all his years, it was being anywhere near her when she woke up from those dreams. Especially if she woke up from THOSE dreams...

Better Naruto then him. Yes, this was all his fault, after all.

Naruto blinked as Gaara vanished in a swirl of sand. "What the... you bastard!" he screamed.

-0-0-0-

Sasuke didn't get annoyed easily.

Okay he did, and he'd admit it too. Between the crushing expectations of his peers and the uncontrollable evil that was fangirls he just couldn't help but feeling irked, he didn't think anyone in a similar position would blame him for it either. He was getting better, at least he thought so. Why, he hadn't blown up at anyone in the last... oh, five minutes! But even then he only blew up because Sakura wouldn't stop bugging him for a god damn date.

Seriously Fangirls, Cancer. Get it.

No, while that type of annoyance was something he was admittingly use to, this time he was annoyed for a whole different reason. Uzumaki Naruto, dead last dobe of a shinobi was LATE for their own Chuunin exam. If the idiot didn't show up in time, he'd just leave with out him, but he had a sinking suspicion they wouldn't be allowed to take the test unless the whole team was present.

It would certainly be the type of mind game Kakashi would play on them, telling them they could take the exam while leaving out the fact they had to take it TOGETHER.

Sakura looked to be getting just as annoyed if the twitch in her eye was any indication.

"Sakura."

The pinkette stopped, eyes wide, "Sasuke-kun!"

He sighed. This was why he hated fan girls, he couldn't even talk to them with out them going hysterical on him "Sakura, did you see Naruto yesterday?"

Sakura shook her head with a grimace, "No, those little kids that like to hang out with him were looking for him, but I don't think they found him either."

The Uchiha survivor frowned, considering the possibilities. If wasn't like Naruto to not be seen, everything the boy did screamed Hey! Here I am! Look at me! - To find that not even the girl he had a crush on hadn't seen, or been annoyed by the blonde him made him feel... not concerned, no he'd never be concerned for anyone, but.. curious. "We'll give him another five minutes, then we'll have to go with out him."

The girl nodded, even if her posture practically screamed insecurity.

He really wished Naruto would show up, if nothing else so he'd have some type of challenge in these exams. He didn't think about it much, least he start getting angry, but out of all the other genin that he knew only Naruto held that promise - The promise of challenge, of battle, where he could test his strength and simple grow stronger because they wanted to, no because they ENJOYED it.

They were two of a kind.

"Hey..." Sakura boggled, "Is that Naruto? Who's that on his back?"

Naruto came trudging up the bridge, scowling a bit as he carried a rather pretty unconscious girl on his back. He stopped in front of them and snarled, "Before you ask, no I didn't do anything, she passed out on her own."

"Meh..." the girl on his back mumbled, snuggling tightly against him and murmuring, "Stop teasing me... Naruto... kiss me damn it."

Naruto sweated as they stared at him. "Eer, okay, so maybe I threw a monster party and she got drunk and passed out. Sue me." he shrugged.

Sasuke frowned. 'Party? Why didn't the dobe invite me?' he shook that thought off as quickly as it came, "Why didn't you just leave her at home, dobe. We're going to a Chuunin exam."

Sakura nodded slowly as she examined the girl closely, "I think... she's taking the Chuunin exam too, isn't she?"

Sasuke blinked, examining the girl closely "Eh? Is that a Suna Hia-tae?" What on earth would a Suna-shinobi be doing hanging out with Naruto of all people! He wasn't exactly the most sociable person, but even he knew the blonde tended to aggravate anyone he'd met until they got use to him. "Why would a Suna-nin hang out with you?"

Naruto shrugged as best he could considering his passenger, "She just wanted to have some fun, how should I know? It's not like I went out looking for the trouble, y'know."

"Mmh... don't you dare stop Naruto-kun.. AH" she half squealed in her sleep, "Yeah.. that's how I like it... you dirty little bitch, say my name!"

Naruto didn't even sigh, "Okay look, either of you have a gag? I really need to shut her up, now."

Sasuke and Sakura sweat dropped.

-0-0-0-

Kankuro had often housed suicidal thoughts when growing up, especially when it came to their father. While that's all they were, thoughts, he oh so wished one day that he'd be strong enough to bring them out of his head and make them real, end the torment the shadow of his father cast on he and his siblings.

Yet today his father wasn't the target of his rage, it was Gaara. He had half a mind to go up and start strangling the red head, hence the reason for his suicidal thoughts. He tapped the ground irritably, looking back and forth down the road. The two had been standing at the entrance to the shit fuck school where the Chuunin exams were being held for close to five minutes, not a sign of his erstwhile sister and the bastard blonde she had gone out with last night.

"Let me get this straight..." the puppeteer glared, "... You left our sister with that annoying jack ass, while she was unconscious."

"Yes." Gaara replied simply.

"And you don't see a problem with it." Kankuro sought to clarify.

"No."

"GAARA!" Kankuro snapped, "You don't leave your arguably beautiful, hot, and unconscious sister alone with ANYONE! Especially some one for all we know could be messing with her since she can't defend herself!"

Gaara glared, jade-eyes piercing in intensity. Kankuro felt his hackles rise at that, but held his ground rather then following the impulse to run like hell. "Naruto may like girls..." the redhead paused slightly, "... may really, really, really like girls..." that didn't leave Kankuro feeling all that good "... but to take advantage of a girl unable to respond or defend herself?" he snorted, "He's killed greater men for even trying."

Kankuro frowned, "He's killed before?"

Gaara snorted, crossing his arms in response.

Kankuro didn't know what to think about that. While he had killed, why ALL of them had killed before, it wasn't something to be taken lightly. He still, on occasion, had dreams of the first man he killed. It had been a death fueled by anger and rage, when they had been separated from Gaara and Baki in the Dune hills and cornered by a group of bandits led by a missing-nin. Their taunting, the promise to 'play' with his sister had been too much at the time, he saw red.

Nothing survived his rage, the Missin-nin he had strung up like a puppet. Yet that had been invigorating, to kill with passion rather then cold necessity like he had too with his second kill. A woman named Naru had discovered him during an infiltration mission, he hadn't even hesitated when he strangled her with his bare hands.

He'd never forget her eyes though, he'd never forget those brown orbs that stared at him even as he choked the life out of them, he'd never forget the silent question they asked just as they lost their spark.

Why?

Kankuro shivered, "Damn it."

"Shut up." Gaara snapped, pointing, "Here they come now."

Kankuro swiveled and frowned, which quickly erupted into a glare. Four people, two he didn't recognize nor care about, and the blonde haired jack ass with his unconscious sister on his back were coming up. He was happy to see his sister, even if she was unconscious. He was not, however, happy with what he saw shoved in her mouth.

"You gagged my sister?" the puppeteer seethed angrily

The pink haired girl startled slightly, shaking herself out of some stupor. "Er..."

The raven haired guy whose entire posture just screamed 'I have a stick shoved up my ass.' glared, but Kankuro honestly didn't give a shit.

Naruto snorted, "If you heard half the dirty shit coming out of her mouth you would be thanking us."

Gaara chuckled, an act that had Kankuro seriously debating about running for the hills, "The Remedy is stong, but there is danger in such strengths."

"Naruto." the 'dick up ass guy' snapped, "Put the idiot girl down and let's go, we have more important things then too worry about a drunk."

Kankuro and Naruto snapped in Tandem, "Don't you insult Temari-chan/my sister teme!"

Temari shuddered then, eyes fluttering open as she blearily gazed around, "Whfud.." she frowned finding the not so comfortable fact she was gagged interfering with her ability to talk.

"Wake now, cup cake?" Naruto chuckled even as he helped her off his back.

Once down, the Desert Rose ripped her gag off irritably, "What the hell's going on? Where am I?" she zoomed on Naruto first before her face erupted atomic rouge, twirling instead towards Kankuro, "Kankuro! How long have I been out of it and..." she snarled, "Who the fuck gagged me?"

"I did." Sasuke glared, piercing black eyes just daring she tried something.

Temari whirled around, "You gagged me?" she snarled, reaching for her fan "You better have a good fucking reason dick head."

"Don't you call Sasuke-kun that!" Temari blinked, just noticing the pink haired kunoichi for the first time, "It's not his fault you were talking in your sleep about..." Pinky turned a little green, "... about raping Naruto!"

Kankuro saw red, turning to the blonde before his rage sputtered out. Gaara and the blond haired bastard had vanished. "Oh I'm so going to kill that kid."

"Hnn." Sasuke snorted, "As if the dobe would let such a weak little Kunoichi use him like that."

Temari had enough. She had just woken up, though strangely enough she felt more alive today then she had in a long time, found herself gagged and if what Pinky said was true, she had been talking in her sleep about raping some one. She was not amused.

Sasuke didn't so much as see her move, but he certainly felt her earth shattering punch nail him square in the stomach. He slid back from the blow, glaring and rubbing his stomach. 'Damn she hits hard.'

"Don't you hurt Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed, moving in front of her long time crush.

In all honesty, Temari had felt LOADS better once she hit the twerp, but the way Pinky was acting was enough to piss her off all over again, and not because she had thrown herself to protect the little idiot. She was a rather observant girl, one had to be if they wanted to become anything more then a pin cushion in the Shinobi world, and what she was seeing did not please her in the slightest. The girl had long luscious pink hair that practically glimmered with how well she maintained it, and... was that make up she was wearing? Oh dear, and to top it all off she was using her symbol as a shinobi, her Hia-tae as a freaking hair ornament.

"What the hell are you, girl?

"What the hell is that suppose to mean!" Sakura snapped irritably.

"Ooooh! Cat fight! Hiss, hiss!" Kankuro grinned, ignoring the scathing glare both girls shot him.

"You wear your hair like it's something other then a liability, you wear make up like every day as a kunoichi isn't a war, and you wear your Symbol as a Shinobi as if it was a fashion statement. Your a disgrace to this village and Kunoichi everywhere!"

"What?" A vein throbbing noticeably as she colored red in rage, "Who the hell do you think you are? Just because I like to look GOOD doesn't make me any less of a kunoichi."

Temari boggled at the stupidity of it all, "Jesus. I've been awake two minutes, and all you've done is act like some kind of..." disgust spread across her face, "... fangirl!"

"I'm a Kunoichi, damn it!" Sakura screamed in retort.

"Are you?" Temari groused even as she turned and walked away, "How about you get your head out of your ass and start acting like one. Kankuro? Let's go."

Sakura looked ready to explode, face red and fists clenched tightly.

Sasuke watched them as they walked away, rubbing his stomach with a look of shocked awe. 'I... I think I'm in love.'

-0-0-0-

Naruto twitched, fists clenched tightly.

"Calm yourself." Gaara squeezed the blonds shoulder, "Your rage is apparent, we are... fortunate the others had not noticed in light of Temari's escapade."

He took in a deep breath, the tension draining out of him ever so slightly, "Can't help it. Just being around them pisses me off." he glared over his shoulder, eyes some what blood shot, "I almost killed Sakura each time she opened her damn mouth, I would have too if I wasn't carrying Temari."

Gaara frowned, "Control yourself, now is not the time to reveal just what we are."

"Yeah yeah." Naruto sighed, arms raised overhead and locked behind his head as they moved on. A companionable silence descended between the two, broken only by the inane conversations of genin all huddled around a door. The two paid them no mind, casually brushing aside anyone standing in their way as they took to the stairs.

Neither paid attention to the set of milky white eyes narrowed on them as they passed by.

-0-0-0-

Baki did not like surprises, not at all. He was a man born of Logic, where everything had a cause and effect and happened for a reason. Where people lived and died by a simple formulae of who had the advantage of position, range, and numbers. He had taken part in many skirmishes with enemy-nin's seeking to invade Wind, and had seen first hand that such logic was always, more often then not, the key that had led them to victory and in rare cases, defeat. It was ultimately why he tended to avoid investing emotionally in anything, he had lost far too many friends at critical times that could have just as well ended with his life.

No, Emotional attachment was to be avoided. They introduced uncontrolled variables to the logic he oh so cherished.

But even he knew he wasn't a man of stone, that some times you just couldn't help yourself. That was why he felt nervous, that was why he was waiting here rather then taking care of other responsibilities set to him by his Kazekage. He was... concerned for his wards.

Baki spared the man across from him a guarded look. He didn't need to guess as to his identity, he was known far and wide for his ability to steal jutsu, a reputation that only inflated with the near total destruction of the Uchiha Clan. Sharingan Kakashi, the great 'Copy Cat', stood there with stony calm, saying and revealing nothing no matter how hard the older Suna-nin concentrated.

He'd never admit such, but just being in the other Shinobi's presence was slightly unnerving. Paranoia was as much a bed fellow with Shinobi was confidence had to be.

He sighed inwardly, tossing those thoughts away and focusing on what was really bothering him. What Kankuro had related too him yesterday left him confused and wondering when the world had been turned upside down. The fact Gaara knew anyone in Konoha, much less called some one a 'friend' was nothing more then a situation just begging to explode when the War Erupted. While Gaara was anything but loyal to Sand, he certainly wouldn't have passed up a chance for wanton destruction and blood shed, but how would him having a friend in Konoha, one he may actually have to fight, change things?

Then there was Temari. That girl was really the only control the Sand had over Gaara, the only person able to look at him with out fear and subtlety manipulate him into doing what she thought was best. He had been planning on using that to convince Gaara when it came time to explain the plans to the kids, but now he wasn't so sure. He'd just have to wait and see what 'Recon', the word Kankuro had used when explaining where Temari had gone last night, she had managed to gather.

A shock of red hair turning the corner caught his eye, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was Gaara, along with a blonde hair kid with strange whisker marks across his cheeks. That must be the boy Kankuro had been talking about. He monitored him critically, but much to his aggravation he couldn't actually see anything.

The boy moved with casual ease, that much he could tell, but his hands and feet where positioned in such a way he couldn't even glimmer what prominent Taijutsu style the boy had studied, something that he had never failed to glean before. Even the Konoha-Gouken practitioners tended to give away their style by the way they even spaced their feet apart, slightly curved outward, yet this boy did not.

Soon enough the rest of their respective teams showed up, thought Baki couldn't help but scratch his head when Temari turned an unhealthy shade of pink when Naruto greeted her. He quickly ushered them into the room, reminding them to consider everything they did here a mission, before stepping out himself. He was on his way out when he caught Kakashi talking hurriedly to the blonde kid and two others he hadn't seen when earlier.

'Oh... joy, he's a student of Kakashi's eh?' the older Suna-nin sighed, 'Least it can't get any worse.' He shook that thought of. He'd leave it to Kankuro and Temari to find out what was going on with the blonde kid, he had more important things to consider and take care of now.

Like meeting with a certain Snake's subordinate...

-0-0-0-

Gaara stood still, jade eyes moving back and forth as he examined the rooms. The contemptuous glares he received were ignored, they were sheep, he was the wolf. They would die when he felt they were no longer useful. He glanced over the Sound Team, not at all surprised to see the hunch back eyeing a silver haired Konoha-nin with glasses; Kabuto he realized. The traitor himself casting occasional glances towards a black haired Grass-nin while watching the door.

While he never got to personally meet the man, he having died early on during the Demon invasion, he knew through Naruto that he was the Snake Sannin's right hand man and go to guy. He'd be interesting to watch, Gaara decided as he moved to the side of doorway with Kankuro and Temari.

"How'd you sleep, Gaara?" Temari asked innocently as she leaned up against the wall. "Naruto told me about some seal work he did."

Kankuro frowned, alternating his gaze yet saying nothing.

"I dreamt about mother." the red head softly muttered, "She held on to me and cried, begging for forgiveness, for redemption."

Temari shifted nervously.

"And then I killed her." Gaara finished, glancing towards his sister, "Dear sister, if you want the answers you seek do not ask so bluntly." he waved his hand to forestall an argument. "I don't know what Naruto told you, or why, but I do know he isn't one to just hand out information." he tapped the side of his head, "Use this, it's really all anyone has to count on. I know that more then anyone else."

Temari looked away with a shameful frown, but said nothing.

-0-0-0-

Naruto felt like tearing off and punting Kakashi's head through the stratosphere. Could the man be anymore pathetic? 'Oh me, oh my, you have to rely on your team to succeed! Naruto, you most of all' The dick was lucky he was restraining himself for now, hell, Konoha was lucky he didn't just unload into their unsuspecting asses. He probably wouldn't survive the attack, but neither would the majority of Konoha.

He shook his head, dispelling that thought. Konoha's time would come on it's own, he didn't need to hasten it's downfall just yet. Looking over the room, instantly picking up on Kabuto and the incognito snake, he spared Gaara a glance. He seemed to be discussing something with his siblings, whatever it was had Temari and Kankuro both looking away in shame.

"So you guys made it here too, huh?"

Naruto snapped towards the voice, eyes turning into slits for a split second as a wave of barely suppressed killing intent rolled out like a tsunami. "Kiba..."

-0-0-0-

The entire room froze for a split second, but it was all Gaara really needed. The moment he had seen Kiba walking towards Naruto's group he had moved, crossing the distance and grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his shirt.

Just in time apparently, as the blond boy snapped around and glared with bloodshot eyes. "Naruto, calm yourself, now."

His response was far too animalistic, like a rabid wolf growling with teeth bared and ready to eviscerate what had raised it's ire. Gaara shot a glance to his side, ignoring the Shell shocked look on Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba's team. "Temari, Kankuro, I will speak with Naruto alone." he snapped, dragging the blonde who returned to glaring hatefully at the dog-nin away.

Kiba let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Geesh, what the hell is wrong with that loser now?"

Sasuke shuddered. What the hell was that? A physical manifestation of Killing intent? How was that even possible, heck, how the hell had the dobe done it at all? "I don't know." he glanced across the room, not in the least bit surprised nearly everyone was casting nervous glances at his blonde team mate.

Shino pushed his glasses up slightly, "I'm more interested in his instinctual response to Kiba's presence."

"Killing Intent." Temari supplied, ignoring the curious and cautious glances she was getting, "An almost instinctual jutsu that allows a shinobi to express their intent on an absurd level if you can't control your emotions." eyes narrowed curiously, "I don't know Naruto very well, but the moment he saw your friend he lost control, thus the killing intent. The real question I'm curious about is WHY he'd want to kill you."

Kiba snorted, "Cause he's a stupid loser. He's just pissed I can kick his ass." If he was at all nervous about being brutally murdered, he didn't show it.

"E...excuse me, Miss... how do y-you know Naruto-kun?" A shy mousy looking girl spoke up, though refused to meet Temari's curious gaze.

"I spent the night with him." The Desert Rose shrugged, casting her gaze towards Gaara and Naruto. Whatever they were talking about, Naruto was practically snarling every time he opened his mouth.

"Sp-sp-ent the night?" Hinata eeped out, a horribly distressed look in her eyes. She was ignored.

Kankuro grimaced, "You know what that felt like Temari."

"Yes." she nodded, ignorant of the curious looks she was getting from the Konoha-genin. "Felt like he was choking me."

"Just like Gaara." the puppeteer frowned, "You don't think he's a..."

Temari eyes bugged out as two and two came together, "I... he might be." she frowned, "But which one could he have?"

"What are you two talking about?" Sakura glared at the blonde kunoichi, "He's just Naruto, an obnoxious dead last idiot!"

"Dead last?" Kankuro repeated slowly.

"Yeah." Kiba snorted, "Idiot barely passed the Academy, he's the worst ninja ever."

Naruto suddenly swung wide, fist crashing into the wall hard enough to break through the concrete, spider cracks spreading out over the point of impact, a testament to the force of the blow, "That traitor deserves death, I don't give a shit what you say!" the blonde screamed, before falling back into his heated debate with the redheaded Suna-nin.

Kankuro whistled, "If that's your dead last, I'd hate to see what your Rookie of the year can do."

Sasuke did NOT twitch when everyone started staring at him. He didn't. Really.

Maybe a little.

-0-0-0-

TBC - Yeah.


	5. Chapter 5

Advent of Hell

Written By: Matdeception

Disclaimer: ... Go to hell.

-0-0-0-

Chapter Four: Predator

-0-0-0-

The Lull after the Written exam was trying her nerves, she was certain everyone was given an 'hour' break as a means to annoy the teams not native to Konoha. Honestly, what the hell would they do with an hour? They knew precious few people, knew even less about the village itself; they simply put had no where to go. It wouldn't have even been so bad if she didn't feel like she was walking on eggshells where her brother and his annoying blonde friend were concerned.

"They've been talking this entire time." Kankuro grunted, sitting down against a tree as he tinkered with a small ball.

The Desert Rose nodded, glancing towards one of the few Konoha teams that had decided to wait for the Second part of the exam, "We aren't the only ones concerned about this."

Indeed they weren't, the pinkette and the Raven Haired boy, Uchiha Sasuke the famed 'Uchiha Noble' she realized, were staring just as much as they were. Though the latter made a passable play at not being concerned, she could still catch the curious anger in the boy's black eyes whenever he'd stare just a bit longer then he should have. "Something's wrong, we know that much, but what?"

Kankuro grimaced, "Well, we know Gaara's acting stranger then ever, but with the way they were talking about that Naruto asshole back in the classroom makes me think he's acting just as strange, if not more so." he grinned then, closing the open hatch on the ball.

"Dead last." Temari snorted. She wasn't the best judge of a person's skill with out having at least seen them fight once or twice, but she had to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see Naruto was anything but the class loser. No mere 'dead last' could produce killing intent, not even herself or Kankuro were capable of that yet, and they had been dealing with it their entire lives. The way those childish Konoha-genin were acting, that had to be the first time Naruto had actually expressed that ability. "But what could have happened between his graduation and now? It doesn't add up, why would he hide his skill in the first place? No one can get strong enough to express Killer intent in what five, six months tops?"

"Gaara could." her brother hesitantly reminded, "Not that we have proof, but if you think about it, it does make a sort of sense doesn't it?"

Temari's breath hitched a moment, "Maybe... but you heard those kids, didn't you? They didn't have a clue what we were talking about. Anyone who's grown with a Jinchuriiki would have been able to put two and two together to figure it out, but they couldn't. Why not?"

Kankuro shrugged, "Who knows. I don't think we have enough recon to figure it all out now, we'll just have to keep watching and hope for the best, eh?"

"Watching and doing nothing." Temari sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly, "Sounds familiar."

"Take it one step at a time, sis. We'll figure it out." Kankuro pressed a hidden switch, four legs popping out as well as a small camera from it's top. "Heh."

Temari frowned, "That's your 'spy' doll isn't it? Why are you getting that out?"

Kankuro sweated, "Eer... best to be prepared, right?"

"You're hiding something." the Desert rose stated as a matter of fact, "It better not be something stupid."

"You wound me, sis." Kankuro returned innocently, "Trust me, if I do use this, it'll be for the greater good."

Temari rolled her eyes.

-0-0-0-

"So that's your plan eh?" Naruto snorted, "How is this any different then with Kiba? Those losers haven't actually 'done' anything yet."

Gaara glared, "Kiba did what he did because he had no choice. Pack in life, pack in death, pack in all things." he sneered, "Those three betrayed Humanity not because they were forced, but because they were to be paid."

The blond grunted, glancing carefully at Kankuro and Temari least they notice, "And this doesn't have to do anything with what happened to Temari, does it?"

"..." was Gaara's enlightened response.

"I thought so." Naruto sighed, "Look, I'll do it. It'll be my pleasure after what they did."

"Good." the boy grunted, glancing over towards a certain Grass-nin, "And him?"

Naruto grinned, teeth glittering dangerously, "Oh... I'm going to have a blast with that one."

"Assistance?" Gaara questioned with raised eyebrow.

"Hmm?" Naruto shrugged, as he walked to rejoin his team "If I say no, you'll come anyway, so why bother asking, ya dick?"

A grin was his only response.

-0-0-0-

Naruto ignored Sakura's curious gaze as he rejoined them. He'd have to be blind to miss the obvious questions the girl was desperately trying to find the courage to ask, and he really didn't care. Sasuke, the anti-social asshole that he was, feigned disinterest with a patented, "Hnn."

They didn't matter to him. His Sakura, the one he had given his heart and love to, had died. The fool girl sacrificing her idiot self to save his ass, and Sasuke... the Uchiha he had known had died in his quest for revenge, sacrificing his body to Orochimaru. It was rather ironic, and rather obvious, when the Snake-freak didn't bother with such foolish revenge, the brat had given up everything and achieved nothing.

Naruto shook his head, dispelling troublesome thoughts about the past, allowing himself to fall back into the 'Now' mindset. It was really all that mattered.

"All right you little shit stains." The Second Proctor, Mitarashi Anko was her name if Naruto remembered right, jumped up on a table. If he was being a gentleman he'd like to think she had gathered everyone's attention through her impressive no-nonsense shit taker attitude and severe persona, but he'd be lying and he knew it. Anko was a sociopath and didn't try to hide it. Her fishnet suit that hid little and promise much was just something she wore to get her jollies off at others discomfort, and he knew from personal experience it pleased her to no end to have people think her a whore.

Was she a whore? He didn't think so. Was she a woman who, beneath the false bravado, was desperately crying out for attention and love and all that nonsensical garbage? He didn't really know her in his last life, he had all but avoided her after his own Chuunin exam and she had died far too early during the war with Demons for it to matter, but what he did know of her was mostly from second hand accounts and observations made only after the fact. If he had to guess, he figured she was the type that got off at seeing the pained, crushed faces of men (and maybe women too?) she shot down, often in the most painful and humiliating way possible. He still remembered when Kiba had tried his luck and ended up in the center of the village, tied up on his hands and knees with Akamaru glued on top of him, giving the wonderful silly idea that his dog was... heh.

But who cared? His eyes couldn't stop tracking the five foot seven inches of hot ass bitch in fish net that both teased and promised all who beheld her with just the right amount of skin, and perfect amount of covered bits to get the ole fire hose standing at attention.

Naruto grinned devilishly, pointedly staring at her barely covered legs where the expansive flesh met her too short shorts. "Day-um!"

"Naruto!" Sakura all but hissed like a snake, jade eyes quickly tracing just where he was staring. "Stop that you pervert! You aren't even paying attention to the rules!"

The blond blinked, glancing at the pinkette, "Wait, rules?"

Sasuke hnned, "Dobe."

"No wait, bare with me a little." Naruto scratched his cheek cutely, "Rules, in a shinobi exam, that doesn't make any sense to..." he ducked suddenly, a kunai passing overhead as little more then a blur. He felt her presence instinctually before his mind caught up to the movement. He flipped back, pulling a kunai out in rapid succession, bringing the blade down in a sweeping motion for the neck. He caught sight of her eyes, widening slightly in surprise before narrowing in amusement.

She winked at him.

'Holy shit!' Naruto boggled as the Jounin vanished in a buff of smoke, her eyes vanishing only to be replaced by confused jade eyes only now widening in horror as his kunai inched closer by the millisecond for her exposed neck. It took everything he had not to end Sakura's miserable life, pointedly pulling the Kunai upwards to just barely skim the top of her hair, the swift movement threw him slightly off balance, forcing him to land in a forward crotch rather then on his feet as he intended.

Even as he landed he cursed himself a fool. Acting instinctively in the way he had was well beyond what his skill should have been at this point. With an extreme act of will he forced himself NOT to roll forward and evade the kunoichi's counter, a square kick to the base of his back that brought him down to his knees. Stabbing pain ricocheted up his spine and disoriented him slightly, giving the psychotic bitch enough time to grab his wrists and, while pressing her foot into his back, pulled his wrists back and upwards in a painful hold.

'Oh Jesus this hurts!' Naruto grunted mentally as the pressure increased. It felt like his arms would pop out of their sockets at any moment.

"You're a feisty little shit, aren't you?" Her tone was all honey and syrup, as if very nearly breaking a kids arms was as right as rain. "Oh, are you going to cry now?" she taunted with a grin.

"If..." Naruto wheezed, but pushed forward despite the pain, "... I didn't... think... you'd enjoy that... maybe...'

Anko raised an eyebrow at that, "You think you know me, eh?" she pulled harder, practically preening as his joints audibly popped a little under the pressure. She had to admit, the kid didn't cry out once despite what had to be excruciating mind numbing pain. Several gasps from the potential Chuunins reminded her that as much as she wanted to see the kid cry like a little bitch, she still had a job to do. She lightened up a little bit, pulling her leg back then roughly dragging him up where she leaned in, close, ever so close until Naruto could feel her hot breath across his ear, and whispered, "What's your name?"

"Naruto... Uzumaki Naruto." he breathed deeply, which Anko smirked at. She returned in that teasing, husky voice of hers that promised everything and nothing, "You got my attention, I swear I will break you... and soon."

A weak grin spread across his face, "Yeah? I can't wait."

Anko just grinned as she let him go, "Now, before this soon to be dead little shit stain interrupted me, I was explaining the particular rules to this exam." she sauntered towards a table and picked up a scroll, knowing all eyes were glued to her hips. She tossed it up and sighed, "I'd much rather just have a battle royal and pass the survivors, but apparently my superiors are against any type of exam that doesn't have some kind of gay deeper philosophical meaning behind it." she shrugged, inwardly preening at all the incredulous stares being shot her way. "So here we come to some pre-devised crappy test about team work and blah blah blah." she finished flippantly.

'Blah blah blah?' Temari just stared. What kind of psychopath had Konoha assigned to proctor this exam? She didn't even care about her job!

"Anyway, Sixteen earth scrolls, sixteen Heaven scrolls, thirty two teams. Each team will be given either a Heaven or an Earth scroll, and your 'objective' is to acquire the opposite scroll through whatever means you deem fit." she tilted her head innocently, a light playful smile on her thin lips, "Bonus points for anyone who manages to kill the opposing team in taking it, of course."

'Bonus... points.' Was the echoing thought amongst the prospectful Chuunin heads.

"Now, 'ultimately'," Temari refused to believe she just saw the woman curl her fingers in the universal 'quotation' pose, "The goal is to get both scrolls, and arrive at the tower in the center within the time limit. I've also been informed your entire team has too at least be alive when you get there, or you'll be disqualified." the obviously insane Kunoichi grinned nastily, "And I dare any of you fucks to open the scrolls, I fucking dare you!"

Anko sat on the table, purposefully crossing her legs in slow exaggerated movements that got more then it's fair share of stares and soft groans, "Now, apparently none of you fucking knew what you were doing when you entered your 'respectful' Academy's, nor have you come to the conclusion after all this time that Shinobi are tools and can and in fact do fucking die on a daily basis even over the most useless shit in the world." she lifted up a form, "Before I can allow you into my forest, you need to sign these forms."

Temari was almost afraid to ask, and was glad she didn't have too as the pinkette from Naruto's team spoke up, "What do the forms say?"

Anko shrugged tiredly, "That if you get killed you'll have the god damn courtesy to stay dead for a fucking change..."

Gaara and Naruto both grinned at that, creeping out Temari and Sakura both.

"... and in the event of your hopefully bloody, humiliating, and absolutely painful demise you won't sue me, or us, whatever, what does it matter." she said with a smile as bright as sunshine, "You're shinobi, remember? Death is a part of every day life."

Naruto cursed himself for not getting to know this psycho-bitch more in the past.

Gaara was in love.

-0-0-0-

She felt an almost palpable air of tension as they moved through the trees, slinking from shadow to shadow as the hurriedly made their way deeper into the forbearing darkness. She spared the front runner a longing glance, admired his sleek black hair whipping softly in the wind as they moved quickly, quietly, with nary a sound. That realization, that they were indeed moving silently, abruptly brought her attention to the third member of their little team.

Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, the orange wearing fool with a personality so bright and forceful it almost hurt to be in his presence, a boy who she never believed even knew the definition of stealth, much less being able to do it, leapt through the trees with a grace she usually reserved for their sensei. That set off small warning bells, not that they were needed, the blonde had been sending out warning signals ever sense she had met up with him this morning.

Orange suit of headache inducing trauma was gone, replaced with a white shirt with orange swirl proudly blazing in the back, and black shorts that looked more suited for a pre-teen then the teenager wearing them. It made him look ridiculous to be honest, those short shorts hugging his little body that left very little to the imagination if anyone actually took the time to simply stop and look - Not that she did, no sir, she was not a pervert. It was like he had forsaken his trademark jumpsuit and hadn't really thought of buying clothes to replace it.

Sakura turned away as their eyes met, his fierce (When did they become so fierce?) pointedly staring into her own jade ones. That brief moment of contact left her with a feeling of... she didn't know how to describe it. It was like being stared at by a some one who was trying to decide why he should let you live, whatever that meant.

Something was wrong with him, she knew it. Inner Sakura had been silent since first meeting him on the bridge, only letting out whimpers and inane dribbles amidst some harsh sobbing - Which REALLY freaked the pink-haired kunoichi out. Inner Sakura had always been a harsh personality, strong and confident and everything she wasn't, but she was also a source of deep and often times confusing wisdom. She could see things Outter Sakura couldn't for reasons beyond the pinkette, and right now that wisdom was being sorely missed.

Sasuke came to a halt, arm raised in a fist. Sakura leapt up and joined him on his branch, Naruto simply vanished from sight. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Quiet." the dark-haired boy whispered harshly, "I can feel..." he frowned then, looking back, "Where's that dobe?"

Sakura looked back and frowned, "I don't know. He's been acting really weird, don't you think Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha just looked at her.

Sakura blushed slightly, only to gawk in surprise as the boy literally pushed her off the branch before leaping away himself. Sakura only heard the harsh thud of projectiles embedding itself in wood before she flipped over and channeled chakra into her hands and feet, grabbing hold of the tree to slow her descent before kicking off and away, coming to a stop on a neighboring branch. She strained her senses as far as she could, but could detect nothing.

Silence.

"Sasuke-kun?" her voice quivered, she cursed herself for that, but she just couldn't help it. There was no sound, nothing since the attack above, which just wasn't right. Sasuke-kun could be stealthy, but always left stealth by the wayside once the fighting had started.

And Naruto, he was anything but stealthy in his fights, yet she couldn't hear the slightest peep from him.

"Oi, Sakura!" The pink haired girl nearly screeched when Naruto landed on her branch, followed shortly there after by Sasuke who was glaring hatefully at the blond. "You okay?"

Sakura held her chest and tried to slow her breathing, nodding slowly, "Of... of course I am, idiot!" she snapped defensively, "What the heck happened? Where did you two go?"

Naruto smirked, and if it were possible Sasuke's glare became epic in proportion. "Teme here..." he thumbed back, "Got himself caught in a trap, some Rain-nin. They tried to triple team him, but once yours truly showed up they took off as if the fires of Hell were on their asses!" he gave her a thumbs up, "I'm just so awesome!"

Sasuke snorted, but said nothing.

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes, "Whatever Naruto." she said disbelievingly.

She didn't notice the slight smirk on both boys.

-0-0-0-

People often times looked at him in disgust, some for valid reasons, some for idiotic reasons. One of his favorite reasons was always followed by the words, "What kind of shinobi are you, you idiot!"

Naruto had never been a shinobi, even if he boasted it when he was a little kid. Shinobi were stealthy, patient, and content not to be seen or glorified for how awesome they were. A true shinobi could spend months on a single assassination mission, watching, waiting, learning what they could before finally making that first, final, and generally efficient move that eliminated the target. Even more to the point, they were content to fade away into the shadows in which they lived, never letting anyone know just who had done it, just who had slipped past all their vaunted Security and killed whoever it was the Assassin was targeting.

No, that wasn't Naruto, and he'd admit it if asked. Shinobi were daggers, swift, silent, to the point and then easily hidden away as if they had never been. Naruto was a fucking howitzer, loud, obvious, and so bloody big you couldn't hide it under a tarp, much less in a robe. He struck with deadly force that blanketed an area in it's destructive power, and told all those ninny shinobi fucks to stuff their precise art up their precise asses.

This wasn't to say he couldn't be stealthy, because he could. He figured he could be one of the most stealthiest sons of bitches on the planet if he really cared too, but the point was mute generally, cause he didn't.

Except for now.

Naruto watched his team take off, leaping from tree to tree. Or rather, he watched Sakura take off with two of his Shadow Clones, one of which just so happened to be henge'd into the precious Uchiha. If everything went well, Sakura would never know the difference, and if it didn't... well... sucks to be her, he guessed.

"You four, take Sasuke to the place where we did that thing that time." the real blond snapped irritably.

The four identical clones simply stared at him, "Uh..."

"Fuck's wrong with you?" the real Naruto glared.

"Did you mean were we got ambushed by that Kumo-nin and ended up having hot steamy jungle sex, or that place where we burned all of Tsunade's bras?" one clone braved to ask while the other three poked the unconscious bound Sasuke with sticks.

Naruto grinned a bit at being reminded of those two events. Ah, that Kumo-nin, Yugito or something. She was such a perverted little Kitty... "Uh... the latter."

The clone lazily saluted, "You heard the boss! Pick up that sack of Uchiha emo and move it!"

"Hey!" another clone glared, "Who made you Head-Clone?"

"I did." Head-clone glowered, "Because I had the balls to actually ask what the boss meant, you sissy's always cry and complain when something like that comes up!"

Naruto simply ignored his clones dumbfuckery, it really wasn't worth paying attention too - His clones started acting really weird when he was thirty, he had tried to figure it out, but after finding his clones involved in orgies with women he had never met before he decided for the best it wasn't worth fixing - especially after the clones dispelled themselves. "Look, just go, you can kill each other AFTER I finish with the snake!"

The clones all glared at each other, but nodded as the hoisted the unconscious Uchiha and took off deeper into the forest.

Naruto grinned as the clones took off, taking deep breaths as he sniffed the air. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited, soon enough he'd find that snake and make him pay for this bull shit, but first he had something else to take care of. Something he felt, despite the fact the three involved hadn't even done anything wrong yet, but no less deserved anyway. He raised one fist and clenched it tightly, "It's murdering time." he sneered hatefully as his form shimmered and turned indistinct, all but invisible except for a wavy distortion around his body as he leapt up to the trees and took off deeper into the forest.

-0-0-0-

Neji frowned even as he pulled his vision back. 'What was that?' he wondered apprehensively.

"See something, Neji?" Tenten, the bun haired weapon experts whispered softly from her vantage a tree away where she gripped a kunai tightly in either hand, a habit Neji had noticed she developed whenever he looked concerned about something.

The prodigy of the Hyuuga clan schooled his features as best he could before nodding, "Ahead, The Uzumaki set clones to carry something deeper into the forest before he vanished, a strange technique..."

Tenten frowned at that, "Vanished?"

"Moved so fast you couldn't see him?" Lee offered from the side.

"No, he..." Neji rubbed his forehead irritably, "Bent the light around him, a stealth technique to be sure, advanced. I've never seen anything like it."

Tenten looked concerned, which was good - She'd be on guard all the more now. Lee looked curious, which was bad, he'd be asking questions a mile a minute if Neji didn't find something else to talk about. "What do you two know of him?"

"Uzumaki?" the bun haired girl shrugged, "Class clown, he failed our exam and was pushed back a year. Hadn't really thought of him until he did... whatever he did in the first part of the exams."

'Ah.' Neji grunted. Killing Intent, he knew of it but was sincerely surprised to see a genin, The Uzumaki no less, able to perform it.

"Sensei says he's a worthy disciple of youth!" Lee chirped.

Neji ignored him, "He is not spoken of well amongst my Clan, why I do not know, but they speak harshly of him." he shrugged uncaringly.

"Well what do you want to do then?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Avoid him." Neji said simply, "His fate is that of a loser, no matter his tricks some one will come along and stop whatever it is he's attempting. We should focus on other, non-Konoha teams."

Tenten smirked, and Neji had the silliest impression the girl thought he was scared of the blond loser.

Ridicoulous.

-0-0-0-

'Bored bored bored bored bored bored bored...' were the thoughts of a certain Kunoichi as she cleaned her nails with a Kunai. The test had only started an hour ago, and she supposed she should have been making her way to the tower to welcome any of the shit stains that survived the forest, but couldn't really dredge up the strength to actually give a shit.

Seriously, as much as she loved Konoha, she couldn't help but hate the stupid shit it came up with. Test in a forest to develop team work? Waste of fucking time. A Battle Royal, like she had suggested, would have weeded the weak shits from the strong shits which would have made the rest of this Chuunin test a breeze to complete - After all, when your competition was dead, what was there to stand in your way? Not like this bunch of genin were at all special..

Anko grinned, idly sucking on one finger as her thoughts ranged to one shit stain in particular. The boy, Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi container and a contender for the Darwin awards, had honestly surprised her. Surprises were good, they tended to send tingling sensations to places much in need of them. The fact he had managed to dodge that kunai, and her follow up attack, and even went so far to go for a death blow had really gotten her juices flowing.

The look on that Pink-haired twit when she realized she nearly died had almost caused her to cream her pants, it was just so damn... funny, she supposed was the word. Then the little blond had the gall to challenge her, even while she had him in that painful hold.

He was something else, something special, Anko realized. Which was curious, any shinobi worth their salt knew about the boy, the grapevine described him as an optimistic idiot with no skill, bright orange jumpsuit, and insane luck when it came to fighting enemies a billion times better them himself. Oh, and something about becoming the Hokage - Anko didn't really care to listen all that much.

What she saw today spoke differently, however. 'Hmm, hmmm, what secrets are you hiding, little boy?' Anko chuckled darkly.

"Anko-sama!" the purple-haired Kunoichi blinked, drawn from her musings to see a no-name ninja bowed before her looking distressed. "We've discovered bodies in the graveyard, this requires your direct attention?"

The sexy kunoichi blinked, "Well... colored me shocked, bodies in a graveyard, who woulda guessed?"

The no-name shinobi had the decency to look embarrassed, "Uh, new bodies. Their faces look melted off."

Anko frowned. 'Melted off? Why does that sound familiar?' she hopped off the table, "Let's go!"

-0-0-0-

Temari was both pleased and annoyed not to have run into any teams yet, she wanted nothing more then to get a scroll and complete this stupid test as soon as possible, she didn't fancy having to rough it in the forest for the entire five day duration. Not that she couldn't, or would even whine about it openly, she just didn't want to when she didn't have to.

Gaara for himself looked annoyed, especially at Kankuro, who insisted they wait after the 'GO' sign had been given. Just when Gaara looked ready to coffin his ass Kankuro had picked up a little ball off the ground - his spybot, she realized - and given the nod to go. What he had used the little thing for she didn't care to find out, but the sick little smile he had made her wonder..

"Shouldn't we be heading straight for the tower?" Kankuro groused, pulling her from her thoughts. Temari looked around curious before glaring, "Hey wait, I thought we were heading to the tower? Where the hell are we?"

"Were I should be." Gaara said simply even as he continued forward, unmindful of the stares he was receiving. He stopped then, sniffing the air curiously before grinning.

Temari didn't know what to think of that. "Uh... where you're suppose to be Gaara? What does that even mean?"

Kankuro looked apprehensive, glancing at his sister even as one hand moved to his side. Temari could barely see the near invisible chakra strings extending from his fingers. The blond-haired Kunoichi shook her head slightly, the younger boy relaxing some what.

"You two will head for the tower." Gaara said simply, "Find a team, get their scroll, I'll meet up with you later."

"Uh..." Kankuro blinked, "Where do you think your going?"

"Do as I say." Gaara glared fiercely, before leaping up into the trees and vanishing from their sight.

"What the hell..." Temari stared, then glared after her youngest brother.

Kankuro groaned, "Oh I know that look. You know what that look tells me?" he sighed, "That my sister isn't going to take that lying down, she's going to stupidly charge off after Gaara and get involved in whatever catastrophe waiting for us out in the forest, all because she's an uppity bitch who can't just do as she's told. That's what it tells me."

"Kankuro?" Temari responded sweetly.

"Yeah sis?" Kankuro rolled his eyes.

"Fuck you." she snapped before taking off after her dear little brother.

Kankuro sighed, then leapt after his sister.

-0-0-0-

The forest was silent, dark, foreboding and hot. The local wild life consisted of rather large snakes, bugs of all nature, and various forms of fauna that would eat a man alive if given the chance. It was quite honestly a forest out of some one's nightmare.

The Ame-nin loved it for what it represented for them. The atmosphere was oppressive in such a way it played tricks on the mind, leading people to see things that weren't there, or ignoring things they really shouldn't. For Genjutus primaries, this was a god send, and they ruthlessly took full advantage of it.

"No! NO! NO! You're dead! I saw you die!" the boy whimpered, full of fear and horror as he scuttled across the forest floor, trying to press up against the trees shield his eyes from the miserable visage his own mind had conjured.

Jiro simple watched, perched as he was on an overhanging branch, taking enjoyment of the horror his victim was unleashing upon himself. It was a weak genjutsu all in all, formless and directionless, it latched onto it's victim and allows the mind to conjure up it's own horrors. It wouldn't work on anyone with a shred of knowledge in genjutsu, or anyone not already prone to terror, which just made it all the more comical to the Ame-nin.

"Please... mama... please... I didn't... didn't mean too..." the boy sobbed pitifully.

Jiro snorted as he lept down, kunai in hand. As much as he wanted this bit of fun to continue, he was overdue to meet up with the rest of his team. Better to just end it quickly and see if the poor sod actually had the scroll they need. He grabbed the boy by the head and pressed his Kunai up against his throat, the boys eyes were clouded and tear stained, unfocused with the misery he was experiencing. Jiro snorted. 'Weakling.'

There, a shift, a sudden movement caught the Ame-nin by surprise. A pulverizing blow knocked him back, his Kunai lost as he literally flew back and slammed into a tree. Jiro struggled to stand, to breath, to move but couldn't. Terror the likes of which he had never before experience filled his veins as he saw... it.

A shimmering field, camouflage he dimly realized, roughly humanoid shape crouched in front of the boy he had been about to kill. It's.. head, Jiro guessed, raised as twin flashes of light briefly illuminated in the form, like eyes staring into his own. Then... it moved.

Like water it flowed towards him, fast, fleeting - A flash of silver erupted in streaks as the thing swung at him... then he knew nothing more as darkness flooded his sight.

-0-0-0-

"What the fuck?" Shinji gasped as they found their missing comrade, his body severed in oh so many pieces with his innards pooled around him.

Shiro frowned, idly adjusting his rebreather as he stared. "Dead, ten, twenty minutes at the latest." he glanced to the side and frowned, "Look."

Shinji peered over and grunted, "One of the other genin." and indeed it was. The boy huddled next to a tree, hugging himself as he rocked back and forth, mumbling softly over and over again the same thing. Shinji strained his ears to listen...

"Silver eyes..." Shinji grunted, "He's gibbering, whatever killed Jiro freaked the fool out." he frowned then as a flash of silver on the edge of his peripheral vision caught his attention. He blinked, "The hell was that? Shiro, did you..." he paused, Eye's widening as blood began to seep out of a near invisible wound in Shiro's neck. The boys eyes were wide open in shocked wonder even as his head separated from his body, rolling along the forest floor.

"Shit!" Shinji leapt back but even as he moved something came out of no-where and pierced him at the base of his spinal column. Even as he collapsed, unable to feel his legs, fear welled up as he caught sight of what was attacking him. Silver eyes encompassed a strangely distorted camouflage suit, the figure huddled a few feet away, and Shinji could barely make out the think silver chakra strings extending from either of it's hands. As the... thing stepped toward him the Ame-nin felt fear cloud all senses, "STOP! GO AWAY!"

Strangely the figure did stop... and chuckled. A deep, dark thing that no living thing had the right to make, "Stop? Did she say those words when you took her, scum?"

Shinji whimpered, dragging himself back and away as best he could.

The figure kept chuckling even as he stepped forward, "Did you show pity when she cried out? Did you feel guilt for violating her again and again?" it raised it's arms, those silver chakra strings flashing out and neatly slicing off Shinji's legs at the knees, "Did you grant mercy when she asked for it?"

Shinji simply cried.

"No... you didn't." The thing growled, silver chakra strings flashing out, "And now you'll pay for it."

-0-0-0-

Gaara came upon the scene curiously, or more to the point, Massacre. The sight of entrails and blood and disfigured bodies didn't bother him in the slightest, he had seen so much worse in his time. If anything, he felt pleased by it, especially with these particular bodies. "Did you make them scream?"

Naruto, visible, stretched out across a tree branch looking for bored for all he cared, chuckled.

-0-0-0-

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Advent of Hell

Written By: Matdeception

AN: Seriously... why do you even bother reading this?  
Disclaimer: Yeah.

-0-0-0-

Chapter 5: Fox crushes Snake.

-0-0-0-

They were dead, six, seven hours at the latest. Their faces were blank, as in literally. No mouth, no nose, no eyes, just a clean blank slate. It was only temporary, Anko knew, soon enough their faces would return as the jutsu that caused it came to an end, after that bastard had used them for his damn schemes. She growled at that thought, fists clenched tightly with narrowed eyes.

"Anko-san?" No-name intruded tentatively.

"Orochimaru..." the sexy kunochi snarled, face twisted into sickly rage, "Inform the ANBU, that traitorous shit is here, in the village, masquerading as these poor dead bastards." she frowned, glancing back to the tall trees of the Forest of Death in the distance. "... He's in the forest of death."

"Uh..."

"Did I stutter bitch?" Anko glared, "GO!"

No-name grunted, vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Anko didn't waste time as she submerged in the Shushin, her world becoming little more then a blur as her body accelerated to untold heights. She swore to herself as she neared the forest proper, 'I'm going to kill you, dear sensei!'

-0-0-0-

Sarutobi had listened to the complaint, had read the reports, had ordered an investigation, and now had everything come back to him. He would have been amused if it wasn't a serious violation of both the Shinobi and Civilian code, but that was besides the point. A shinobi had been assaulted, and in turn that shinobi had retaliated with overwhelming force far beyond what was required of him. Mitigating circumstances aside, the old Hokage knew there would be repercussions for Naruto's actions, but first he had to deal with the more mundane.

He gazed with wizened eyes at the people around him, tracing over his old teammates and Advisors before settling on the bruised and battered face of the 'victim'. He snorted mentally at that, he was honestly surprised - and until now greatly impressed - Naruto hadn't gone bat shit on some random civilian yet, it was as far as he was concerned, only a matter of time.

"After reviewing the witness statements, including other shinobi at the scene of the incident, I have concluded..." Sarutobi tapered off momentarily, delighting in the vindicated look the old chuunin Ginnes exuded, "... you are the one who holds primary responsibility."

That shattered look of shock and surprise pleased the old man more then he'd let anyone know. He pushed on, not in the mood to deal with his righteous cry of vengeance, "Seven separate and highly respected sources indicated you blamed the shinobi in question for a bit of bad luck, that you then physically accosted him - despite his warnings not to touch him - and that his actions, while brutal and far beyond what was required given the circumstances, was acceptable at the time."

"But Hokage-sama!" Ginnes all but roared, only to fall silent at the steely glare shot his way.

"As a former Shinobi, you should have known better Ginnes." disappointment evident, the Hokage continued, "You're sentenced to three weeks in solitary confinement, bread and water only." he motioned with his hand, two dark cloaked figures appearing out of thin air at his call. "Take him away."

Ginnes looked ready to protest, but didn't. Stewing in anger the beaten and bruised older man allowed himself to be escorted out of the room.

Sarutobi swirled his chair, ancient eyes staring out his windows to the great city below. "Thoughts?"

Horuma took a deep, exaggerated breath, "Appropriate for Ginnes, but what of Uzumaki? He crossed the line, and Legacy or no, must reap the consequences."

"I agree." his other advisor spoke up tiredly, "However, I advise delaying his punishment until after the Chuunin exams, or his elimination. We can nary afford suspending him now that he's taking the test; A strong show of ninja will show the other villages that we are strong, not weak. That we have prospered since the Kyuubi catastrophe, not limped on."

Sarutobi nodded, hand drifting down his beard slowly. "Agreed. After the Chuunin examination, or his Elimination, Naruto will be punished with three months suspension and assigned to Landscaping detail for that duration, any objections?"

"None." his advisors echoed as one.

"Very well.."

"Hokage-sama." Sarutobi sighed, rubbing his head tiredly as some no-name chuunin popped up in his office. No doubt about to deliver some earth shattering news that was as fantastic as it was no doubt pointless. "Yes?"

No-name looked up, face grim and set in stone, "Orochimaru is here, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi eyes widened.

-0-0-0-

He could feel something was... not wrong, no, just blazingly different then what he had expected to find. Infiltrating this pitiful village had gone to plan, going unnoticed as he passed the written exam a snap, and even appearing indistinct with his very own blood thirsty ex-apprentice no more then ten meters away a breeze. His little excursion shouldn't have presented any problem at all, but he couldn't help but feel... the fates were mocking him some what.

Why? He didn't know. Just a feeling, a gut instinct honed over years of life and death struggles in the face of adversaries that should have had him dead to rights hundreds of times over.

He buried that sense of unease as he watched his prey, admired how he leaned over the flowing stream. His idiotic and useless compatriots, or at least the pinkette, was nearby but the blonde demon container had moved deeper into the forest awhile ago. 'How to go about this? A test no doubt, the spirit has to be as strong as the body if it is to survive the Ten No Juin.'

He moved to higher ground, slinking through the darkened canopy as he found superior position to his prey. He landed with nary a sound and watched as the prey and the pinkette talked softly to each other, about what he didn't particularly care.

"Y'know he's not really there, right teme?" Orochimaru startled at the voice, instinctively lashing out with a crippling blow that would have crushed the brat's esophagus had it connected. Only it hadn't, the blonde had moved fast, unbelievably fast for a Genin, to an overhanging branch. The boy stared at him, blue eyes alight with mirth, yet he made no motion to signal his friends below, which was curious, and honestly the only reason he hadn't ended the miserable cretin's existence. "My my my, I'm surprised you were able to sense me, little boy." he continued in his deep voice, looking coy and amused - so much like the girl he was pretending to be.

"Surprised?" The boy rolled his eyes, "Why is everyone always surprised whenever I do anything right? Jesus it's like no one realizes I was dodging ANBU since I was ten, no, they automatically assume I'm a dumb shit." he shook his head tiredly, "And quit it with the girl act Orochi-teme, it's sick, creepy, and just plain wrong."

'He knows who I am?' Orochimaru wasn't sure if he should be surprised or pleased by that, "You're... more then your reputation makes you out to be, Naruto-kun." he silently, subtly moved his hand behind his back. "Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you and be done with it?"

The blond smirked irritably, "Cause I'm not real?" he shrugged, "Cause the Sasuke down there ain't real either? Be kind of a shame, y'know, to come all this way to give that piece of shit some hickey power only to find out, D'oh, not real!" he grinned, ignoring the annoyed glare shot his way, "I'm just a messenger. If you want to get your greasy little paws on Sasuke you should head that way." he waved off in a seemingly random direction, "Boss wants to have a word with you about something or another."

Orochimaru glowered, "You're... well informed, for a genin." A disconcerting thought to be sure, "And how do I know you're telling me the truth? Telling a real person from a Kage Bunshin isn't an easy task."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Fine fine, have it your way." he looked down and screamed, "Hey teme! The freak wants proof, cancel yourself out already!"

Orochimaru looked down curiously. Sasuke sighed, then shrugged. He turned and said something to the pink haired girl before vanishing in a puff of smoke. He felt the residual Chakra spread out and dissipate, proving he really was nothing more then a Bunshin. He ignored the pink haired girl, who was now looking around flabbergasted, and turned his attention back on the Naruto clone with a dangerous frown, "What's your game?"

"Simple enough, I suppose." the clone grinned, "You go and meet the boss, the boss 'says' what he's been dying to say to ya, then you get to bite your precious Sasuke and alls right in the world. But!" he raised a finger pointedly, "Don't go, and the boss will personally tear out the Uchiha's eyes and make a stew out of them before he roasts Sasuke-temes body to a crisp, robbing your sick degenerate ass of a means to clone the Uchiha, and no eyes for the foreseeable future. Well..." he shrugged, "... unless you fancy facing Itachi, or that Madara fucktard."

"I get it." the Snake sannin snapped, "You know too much, do not be surprised if I kill you for this."

Naruto shrugged, "Come get some." before canceling himself out in a puff of smoke.

Orochimaru stood still for a time, slowly glancing down at the freaked out pinkette below as a small smirk settled into place.

-0-0-0-

'What the hell is Gaara doing?' Temari couldn't help but ask herself for the umpteenth time as she, followed by her dutiful little brother, leapt from tree to tree in search of the elusive red head. Her mind kept going back to those words, those terrible words that meant so much yet revealed nothing 'Where I should be.; What the hell did that even mean? What was he planning, more important, how had he managed to plan anything with out either of them knowing.

'Naruto.' she frowned mentally. That blond haired kid, everything seemed to change when he came into the picture. He was an enigma wrapped in an enigma and taken into the deepest depths of forever; Who was he, really? He knew about Shukaku, he had knowledge of seals apparently; Which honestly freaked her out more then she let on. Seal Crafting was a rare profession among the eldest of Shinobi, Seal Grafting as he admitted to even more so, yet some twelve? Thirteen year old brat knew about it.

She wouldn't have believed it either, if Gaara hadn't been able to sleep with out that pest of a Tanuki from taking over and burying Konoha in sand. Questions, questions, always questions and she feared the answers would come too late for her to actually do anything about it.

"Temari!" Kankuro hissed dangerously, dragging the Desert Rose from her thoughts. She leapt down, landing on a low branch as she quickly surveyed the area. "What is it..." she trailed off with wide eyes.

There, below her in a small clearing were bodies, mutilated and sliced bodies of shinobi - Ame-nin she guessed by the rebreathers attached to their mostly untouched faces. "God, what the hell happened here?"

Kankuro grimaced even as he jumped down. He quickly spotted a form huddled amongst the trees, of a boy in torn camo with starch white hair and a haunted look about him. He grabbed the gibbering fool by the shirt and yanked him out into the open, "Oi! Little pest, what the fuck happened here?"

Temari frowned, joining her brother as she examined the mutilated corpses in closer detail. The wounds themselves were clean - Too clean to have been torn apart by an animal, which was curious. Very few things were sharp enough for such a clean cut, at least from what she knew.

"Eyes... eyes.. silver... silver... not human, not human." the boy repeated like a mantra. Kankuro grunted as he let the kid go, the whimpering sod quickly huddled for protection near a tree in a fetal position. "He's speaking nonsense."

"Is he?" Temari wasn't convinced.

"What the fuck happened here!" a voice spoke up from above startling the two into combat stances. They didn't dare ease out of them either when they caught sight of long legs, a short skirt, complete with fishnet apparel and a open trench coat belonging to none other then their insane Proctor.

Anko landed with nary a sound, fiercely glaring at the mutilated corpses, the horrified boy who looked to have been so scared his hair turned white, and the two on guard Suna-nin. "Well?"

"You ask as if we know either." The Desert Rose snorted, "We were tracking someone when we found this mess."

The sexy kunoichi gave the mutilated corpses one last glance, before shrugging. "Whatever!" she grinned, "You two should get out of here, got a creepy bastard prowling the forest looking for little boys to molest, so... exams canceled!" she chirruped even as she leapt back into the trees and took off.

'Huh.' Temari and Kankuro shrugged as they took off after the insane Kunoichi.

-0-0-0-

"He'll try to escape." Naruto rolled his neck, "You almost ready?"

Gaara stood there arms crossed, eyes closed as he took in deep, steady breaths. "Nearly. The rock is old, strong, it is being difficult." his jade eyes slowly opened, "The outside will be weak, but within the dome escape should be impossible."

Naruto grunted, "Don't know how much I like that, once that goes up everyone within eye shot is going to come barreling over here bringing all kinds of heat I'd rather just avoid."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have chosen to meet him in this avenue..." Gaara groused tiredly, "... As much fun as it will be to tangle with Orochimaru, it could have waited until the Invasion." his eyes closed again, "As it is, if we're discovered we'll be marked as rogue elements. I do not doubt Konoha will seek to 'reign' in their precious jinchuriiki."

"Bah!" Naruto threw his hands up, exasperated, "No fun, I swear, you're the most boring son of a bitch I've ever known. I don't give a jolly fat fuck what those Konoha shits try." he shrugged, "What's a months difference anyway? Not like I was planning on staying here past the exams as it is."

Gaara shrugged, "It is your choice."

"Damn right it is." Naruto snorted, "Look, just seal the area once the teme and I start going wild, got it?"

The Sand Jinchuriiki simply nodded as his blond haired friend took off into the forest.

-0-0-0-

Orochimaru tried to predict what was happening, tried to come up with plans within plans should this meeting turn out to be nothing more then an elaborate trap to capture and dispose of him, when he realized what a joke that thought was. Konoha lacked the patience for such set ups when it came to their traitorous children; Strike with Overwhelming unstoppable force, that was their motto.

Still, even as he moved through the forest he couldn't help but wonder; Who are you, Uzumaki Naruto? The life and times of the Jinchuriiki of Kyuubi no Youkai was well known to him, the story of a lonely child faced with the apathy of an entire village directed at him for something he simply had no choice in. In his dreams he had fantasized once or twice about turning the urchin to his cause; It certainly wouldn't have been difficult. A little kindness, followed by a few veiled truths, and the brat would be eating out of his hand.

Still, Orochimaru realized, such thoughts would have to remain where they were born; In fantasy. Akatsuki was still out there, continuing on their mad plans for world domination, or destruction as it were. They didn't retaliate when he left simply because they didn't have the time, nor really cared so long as he did nothing to jeopardize their insane plans; Conscripting a Jinchuriiki would have no doubt roused their wrath.

He shook his head tiredly, wishing not for the first time he had never gotten involved with those lunatics. If he hadn't they never would have decrypted the ancient texts, never would have learned of the Gates and the uncontrollable power within them. If he had never met them he wouldn't even be here, wouldn't need those cursed eyes of the Uchiha to combat them. He simply needed the power Madara once had; The ability to subjugate and enslave demons through his eyes alone. Then, with enough time, he could enslave the remaining Bijuu and their containers to rise up against the Akatsuki before they could complete their idiotic plans.

Oh, and killing that old fool and crushing this pathetic village was just a bonus as far as he was concerned. Life was just full of pleasant surprises that way.

Orochimaru felt it before he saw it, a flash of motion at the edge of his vision that forced him to flee the trees for the forest floor. His package groaned a bit from the sudden rise, but did not wake.

"Heh, Teme. Long time no see, eh?"

The Snake Sannin looked up impassively, spying the golden haired urchin gazing down at him curiously. "Naruto-kun." he lifted up his unconscious baggage from his shoulder and let it drop, a pink haired girl matted with dirt and grim rolled along the ground before sliding to a stop, unmoving. "I oh so hope you don't mind the extra company, I thought it would be boring, with just the two of us."

"Eh?" Naruto snorted, "Whatever. Talk is cheap, so let's just get to the point, eh teme?"

"Yes... to the point." the older man hissed, "Where is Sasuke-kun?" he eyed the unconscious girl pointedly.

The blond grinned, waving one finger in the air pointedly, "Somewhere."

Orochimaru remained impassive, "I could just kill the girl, Naruto-kun."

Naruto shrugged, "So? She's dead to me anyway." his hand flashed out, thin streaks of metal rocketing the distance, piercing the unconscious pinkette's back in rapid succession.

Orochimaru raised one eyebrow slightly at the murder, even as the pinkette disintegrated into nothing more then mud. "Surprising... you would kill your on teammate? Brutal, far too brutal for the likes of Konoha." he gazed back up at the blond, "Just who are you really, Naruto-kun?"

The blond simply smiled even as terribly potent chakra began seeping out of his body, surrounding and burning along the child's form as his eyes took the color of blood.

Orochimaru eyes widened in shock.

-0-0-0-

Anko stopped as a wave of dark malicious chakra boomed through the forest with such force the ancient trees shook terribly. She felt revulsion erupt in her belly, her skin prickling as if tiny needles were piercing her flesh over and over again. 'What the holy fuck...'

The Suna-duo looked queasy, but seemed to have weathered the onslaught well enough. Temari grimaced even as she shook her tessen free. "Damn it!"

Anko stared.

Kankuro sighed, "No doubt about it; Bijuu chakra, potent too. Either Gaara just cut loose or..." he tapered off as Anko rounded her gaze on him. He chuckled nervously, "Uh... I'm kidding?"

Temari snorted, "Too late now. If Gaara is cutting loose, then the whole bloody village is in danger." her gaze turn steely even as she lept forward, speeding through the trees as nothing more then a flicker of motion.

"Oh fun." Anko drawled as she chased after the girl, "I just came here to kill my psychotic sensei, and now you two tell me your dear little brother is a jinchuriiki and is about to go ape shit in my village." she smirked as she pulled out a kunai, licking the blade with her tongue and drawing blood. "Should do for a good warm up, I suppose."

Kankuro just stared. 'What the hell do they put in the water here? No woman is that insane!'

-0-0-0-

Gaara frowned even as the wave of Chakra swept over him. He wasn't ready, he knew, but with that shockwave he didn't have a choice but to go forward despite himself. He sighed, hands flashing through seals as the sand around him began to twirl around him, picking up speed as he began to glow brown.

Jade eyes flashed open, pulsing in intensity like a blazing star. He dropped to his knees and slammed both hands onto the ground. A crack reverberated through the air as the aura around him brightened. Sand, so much sand began to spring forth from the ground all around him before shooting out to either side in a straight line.

The red-haired jinchuriiki closed his eyes as he focused his jutsu to completion.

-0-0-0-

Orochimaru cursed the fates even as he frantically dodged the barrage of punches and kicks the impossibly fast Genin tossed out. He could already feel bruises forming all along his arms from where contact had been made, but could spare no time to think on such things as he dropped down from the trees. 'Damn it.' the older man curses even as he flowed to the side, narrowly avoiding a wicked foot slam that left a crater in it's wake.

Naruto paused as the older man jumped back, creating some distance between the two, an annoyed frown marring his features. "Eh, teme, much as I like knocking your ass to hell and back, what gives?"

Orochimaru, grateful for the sudden pause, stared. "Something wrong, Naruto-kun?"

The blond haired red eyed boy snorted, "Weak old man, too weak. You either forgot to take your meds this morning, or you're holding back." he glared tiredly, "At least put up a fight, damn it. Paying you back for that bull shit with the Gates ain't any fun if you don't at least PRETEND to put up a fight."

'Gates.' Orochimaru eyes widened in horror. The child knew about the gates! How? No one except himself and the Akatsuki had knowledge of those infernal things. "Who... who ARE you Uzumaki?"

Naruto grinned, and Orochimaru cursed himself a fool for loosing his cool like that. "Well now that's..."

"If you say 'A Secret', I swear I will crush you." the snake-sannin snarled.

"Eer..." The Blond pouted; Orochimaru preened at that. He finally had managed to land a blow, no matter how pointless it was, against the blonde mystery. "... know what, I think I'm just going to kick your ass until you cry."

Orochimaru paused, his eyes tracing upwards. "What the...?"

Naruto looked up, a feral grin settling into place. "Bout time Gaara."

Sand, a lot of sand, forming a large dome around them. Orochimaru scowled, 'There trying to trap me here; I knew it.' he spared the blond a glare but only found a glowing red fist smashing into his face for the trouble.

The Snake-sannin flowed with the punch, allowing the kinetic force to carry him away from the raging jinchuriiki before he flipped over and dug his feet into the ground to slow his movements. He looked up and spotted the red flash of chakra barreling towards him. 'Really, this is too much. I didn't sign up for this when I first planned Konoha's downfall.' the old man sighed mentally as he lept up and dodged the juggernaught of chakra.

Eyes widened in pain, Orochimaru screamed as searing energy came into contact with his legs. He glanced down and paled, the blond had managed to stop his forward motion and lept into the air after him, grabbing onto his legs he began to twirl in mid air rapidly. The older man winced when the blond let go, the force of the twirl had been so great that he crashed through a tree and cratered into the ground.

'Can my day get any worse?' the Snake Sannin groused as he forced himself to rise.

-0-0-0-

Temari had felt the chakra before she saw it's effects, a towering dome of sand slowly began to rise from the ground. Whatever was happening, Gaara didn't want any outside interference. '... Okay, screw that.' the girl growled as she lept upwards through the trees. Reaching the canopy she channeled as much chakra as she could to leap high into the sky where she twirled overhead, her Tessen opening almost of it's own violation as she landed softly on the exotic weapon.

The Desert Rose grinned, now airborne and moving faster then she could ever move on foot she zoomed towards the rapidly closing dome. It would be tight, it would be really tight, but she'd be damned if her psychotic little brother shut her out of this.

She neared the top as it began to close in on itself. Once she was above it she flipped over the side of her fan and closed it, gravity did the rest. She plummeted nearly fifty feet before she cleared the rapidly closing dome of sand, quickly flipping upwards she opened her fan again and took stock of what was actually happening. It was dark, very much so, the light being blocked by the dome of sand. Still she could see, if only barely. Flashes of red met with purple in the distance, but to the west was a quickly dulling brown glow that was already moving towards the other lights.

Temari frowned as she flew towards the source of red and purple light, face set in a grim frown. Whatever the hell was going on, it had to be big. She knew of nothing that could rile Gaara up enough to do something so grandiose with his sand, and rightfully feared whatever it was that managed to do so.

Anko stared, "Huh... just when you think you've seen everything..."

Kankuro groaned, rubbing his face in exasperation. Leave it to his sister to fly headfirst into the unknown. "Seriously, what is it with girls? Do they all run head long into oblivion because it gets their rocks off or something?"

"Well, I do." the sexy kunoichi shrugged even as she felt along the dome of sand, testing it's hardness. "Nothing says 'I'm about to cum in my pants' then fighting battles where you have no chance of surviving, much less winning." she grinned crazily, "Why, this one time I freaking came while fighting a brigade of Kusa-nin, I swear, best damn orgasm of my life!" she chuckled, "Shoulda seen the look on their face when I started squirting everywhere... ah, good times."

"Yeah, okay." Kankuro sighed, "It was a rhetorical question, I really didn't care if you answered at all."

Anko smiled cheerfully.

-0-0-0-

Orochimaru slumped against a tree. 'Breath old man, breath. Just keep breathing.' he dazedly repeated like a mantra. He tried to stand up, but couldn't, his body wracked with intense spasms of agony as he raised his gaze. The blond boy landed near by, still enveloped in that damnable aura of chakra. He walked carelessly towards him, moving confidently, as if he had already won the battle.

'But he has.' Orochimaru conceded with his mind. With the unlimited power of the Kyuubi and his own limitations he simply couldn't content against him, not as he was. A sinister plan began to form... 'Kyuubi... yes... why didn't I think of this sooner?'

"Givin up already, teme?" Naruto shook his head, "Really, this has been a waste of time. I came expecting, I dunno, a Sannin. All I got was a third rate Jounin wanna be." he got close and grabbed Orochimaru by his collar, lifting him up slightly. "Maybe I should just kill ya, y'know, end your misery? What'cha think of that snakey?"

"I..." the old man coughed, unable to wipe the sudden grin off his face. "... Gogyou Fuuin." the snake-sannin hissed as he slammed his outstretched fingers into Naruto's unguarded stomach. There was a flash, bright and blinding, then nothing.

Naruto simply stared. Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle. 'I did it, it's done... with out Kyuubi, he's as good as dead...' he paled when the aura of red didn't abate even slightly, "Uh, teme, was that suppose to do something?"

"Seal... how." the older man stared in horror, "How is this possible!"

"Seal..." the blond mouth, before chuckling, "Ah, I get it. Heh." he shook his head, "You can't add a seal to something that isn't sealed anymore to begin with."

"What?" Orochimaru breathed in horror.

"Naruto." another voice, steady and cool entered the picture. He caught sight of the red haired jinchuriiki and paled. The boy stared at him with his cold jade eyes, turning back towards the blond. "There is no time left. ANBU are surrounding the dome, they will begin penetrating at any moment."

"Yeah yeah." Naruto frowned, glancing up. "I'll take care of Orochimaru, you handle Temari." he picked up the stunned snake-sannin, wrapping his limp arm around his neck. "Come on teme, no more time for games. Let's go get you Sasuke."

Orochimaru stared in dumb shock as the boy, no longer encased in the Kyuubi's energy, carried him away from battle.

Gaara sighed even as sand snaked out to his sides in search of it's quarry.

-0-0-0-

Temari landed with nary a sound, teal eyes spying the obviously one sided fight below. Her hackles rose at the sight of Naruto shrouded in an aura of deadly power, and instantly she knew. That chakra flare she had felt, that chakra that had oozed malice and hatred had come from Naruto; her suspicions confirmed. He was Jinchuriiki, a human sacrifice like Gaara was. 'But what beast?' she couldn't help but wonder as she watched him slam the silky haired boy face first into the ground repeatedly.

'Why is he doing this though? How does beating on this guy link to Gaara? What do they hope to accomplish with all this?'

She watched, quietly praying they did not notice her, as the boy threw the older boy against a tree, where he slumped, defeated. She strained her ears to hear, but just couldn't make out what they were saying. She saw the boy punch Naruto in the stomach, followed by a flash, and then... nothing. Whatever he had been trying to accomplish had obviously failed, if that look of horror was any indication.

She felt slightly relieved when Gaara showed up, and confused. Really confused. Naruto had looked ready to kill the guy, yet he picked him up and carried him away as you would a comrade, leaving Gaara alone. She was tempted, sorely tempted to sneak away, but dared not move least she be discovered.

Gaara stood there for a time, as if waiting for something. Temari was grateful when the sand dome began to recede, letting what little light that could pierce the canopy inside. She was decidedly not so grateful when sand erupted all around and snagged her tightly. She would have screamed, but found herself falling back into herself like she had taught herself to do so long ago, burying her fear beneath a glacier of ice as the sand carried her down to her brother.

"Sister." he all but growled.

"Gaara."

"You were not meant to see this." he stated simply, watching her pointedly. "You have put me in a precarious position."

Temari tilted her head as best she could, still trapped in the cocoon of sand. "Why are you doing this?"

Gaara blinked.

"You're changing Gaara, and I don't know why. Ever since we got here, since we met Naruto, I've noticed things." she sighed tiredly, "Things that I'm both thankful for, and scared of."

The red-haired jinchuriiki stared, silent, unmoving. His lack of reaction, Temari had long since learned, meant he just didn't know what to say, how to respond, how to express himself. So she did it for him, "I love you Gaara, I've watched out for you, I've been there when no one else would dare. Just... just tell me the truth! What's happening to you? Why are you changing, and what does Naruto have to do with this?"

Gaara eventually broke his steely fa ade, falling into a frown, "That Temari, is the right question."

-0-0-0-

TBC

Yeah, man. Tiring. This is unedited, unrevised, and I'm prolly going to go back and rewrite large chunks of this. I dunno, write a real fight scene for a change, meh.


End file.
